Love Knows No Limit
by flashgunner
Summary: For as long as they could remember, they had always been best friends. But as they grow older things change and something much worse that net-terrorism will challenge them. Lan/Maylu Megaman.exe/Roll.exe.
1. Everyday Life

Ok before ANYONE ASKS ME... no i have not abandoned my Golden Sun story. In fact i am challenging myself to write two stories at once now! Ahem anyway. Hey guys! Whats up? for those of you who don't already know me I'm Flashgunner (well duh) and i was the once who wrote the Megaman Zero story, Believe in Me. I am also currently writing the story, That Incredible Feeling, for Golden Sun. Now a few of you might remember, that i did at one point have a story up for up, called Megaman Battle Network: Highschool Life. Yes, i deleted it, mainly because it was a lame attempt at doing what Anime Master Zero did with his College Years story. I doubt i could ever write something as long and epic as his 280 chapter giant. But, after reading through some of my favorite LanxMaylu, MegamanxRoll fanfics, (College Years included), i remembered just how MUCH i love the pairings and the possibilities of adding to or altering the story.

Enough rambling here's what i got here... I realized as i looked back on my stories, that i seem to take up a lot of time with battle sequences, in fact, Believe in Me was almost 60% battle, not to mention a lot of the inspiration came from Ruroni Kenshin. Here i'm trying something new. I'm going for less battle, more focus on the characters, their interactions, their changes, and most of all, their relationships. Who know how it will turn out, i've yet to go through with it, so i guess we'll see how it works for me.

I'd also like to thank Gnl567, whom i wrote a review for an gave suggestions to, for rekindling my desire to write for the .EXE gang. That little bit of your story i gave suggestions for really got me going for this again. Thanks.

So for the Megaman Universe, hello again! And for the Golden Sun Universe, don't worry, i'm working on both at the same time, ch. 11 will be out soon as well!

Shall we get started?

Here is the first installment of Love Knows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me talking)

Enjoy!

(p.s. A few things here are based on abilities they have in the Manga. Like the way full synchro works and what not.)

* * *

Love… It is a magical thing… to find one who can match the desire in your soul…………

For some people it only happens once in a lifetime… some grab it and take hold… some bide their time and take it slow… yet some hesitate and lose their chance…………

It is a tricky feeling… that can leave one unsure of how to proceed… confused by a thought… perplexed about oneself… but if found… If challenged… if conquered… the victory will be worth the battle… while if left alone… if put off… if lost… the defeat will be unbearable…………

Those who do not grab the opportunity are fools… damned to feel pain and sorrow by their own lack of initiative…………

Yet if there is no doubt in one's mind… then one can find love through thick and thin… through storms and fire… through war and death…………

Even if the earth quakes, the pillars of heaven shake, and the poison arrows fall from the sky, one can prevail…………

The power of love is unimaginable… and love knows no limit…………

Love Knows No Limit

Written by: Flashgunner

Ch. 1: Everyday Life

"Go Gutsman!!" A large red and yellow Navi charges forward, rearing back his fist. The punch hits nothing as his target shifts out of range in an instant. "He won't run from us this time! Use this Gutsman!" The Navi's operator pulls out a battle ship labeled "Rocket Punch" and inserts it into his Pet. The Navi winds up and punches forward, a rocket booster firing from behind his fist. The projectile collides with the target, stopping it dead in its tracks.

"Haw haw!! How's that Megaman?" Guffawed the large Navi as his fist returned to his hand. The much smaller blue navi in front of him was still standing with his arms crossed in front of his face.

"Not bad Gutsman…" The navi withdrew his arms from his face and brushed himself off. "You guys get tougher every time we fight… But now it's my turn!"

"Bring it on shrimp!!" Coaxed Gutsman as Megaman sprinted towards him at high speed.

"Here you go Megaman! Two chips en route!" Megaman's operator inserted an "Areasteal" chip followed by a "Hammer". Megaman shifted behind Gutsman as a large hammer appeared in his hand. He wound up and swung, but it halted short of the target. Gutsman had shifted his waste and caught the hammer with his large hand. "Huh?!"

"Not this time!" Gutsman spun around fully and landed a punch directly into Megaman's face… or at least a doll of him. Three shuriken flew towards him from above all hitting home. Gutsman stumbled backward a few steps from the attack, pulling the razor sharp stars from his armor. Gutsman's operator looked up from the table. He was a large person, mostly like his navi. He wore a green T-shirt with his navi emblem on the left side of his chest and a simple pair of athletic shorts. His odd hair style could be described as quarter Mohawk, sticking forward off his forehead. "Tricky as always Lan… You hid that "Anit-Damage" chip behind the "Hammer" chip in your hand." His words were focused on the teenager facing him across the battle table. Lan held up one chip between his fingers, parting them slightly to reveal another hidden behind it, smiling.

"Yeah, I've been practicing that. You know I wouldn't use the same combo on you twice Dex… that's how I beat you last time!" Lan was shorter than Dex by about half a foot. Like Dex, his attire had barely changed. He still wore his white shirt, a new orange vest, black pants, and blue bandana, only they were all a few sizes larger or course.

"Say… you said you wanted to show us something… I've seen nothing new yet, were you just trying to psych me out?" Dex asked with a smug smile.

"Yeah c'mon Lan! Quit fooling around I wanna see what you can use to beat Dex this time!" Yelled Yai from beside them as she smacked her hands on the table childishly; she was obviously impatient with Lan for holding back his so called "new technique" from them for so long. Yai had finally grown up a bit, if you could call it that. She was still much smaller than all of them, but she had replaced her typical red dress with a green one and instead of pigtails, she only had a single ponytail that ran down to her waist.

"Ok Lan, you got our attention, telling us about it all day at school now show us." Maylu was leaning on the table next to Yai. She was wearing a viridian blouse with a light blue skirt; her signature knee high socks still part of her outfit. Her hair was a little longer, but only right below her shoulders. Everyone had grown up considerably. Lan was almost as tall as Dex, Dex was still "the big guy," Yai wasn't so small anymore, and Maylu had grown up a bit as well. (To put it simply, adolescence had been kind to her. Flash.) They are all sixteen years old, except for Yai of course who is fourteen, and just started their sophomore year of high school. Time seems to waver in the face of these four however. No amount of time would ever be able to break their friendship, or their tradition of hanging out at Yai's after school.

"Alright alright… here goes… Ready Megaman?"

"Ready when you are Lan." His navi replied.

"Alright let's do it!" Lan took a deep breath and stood perfectly still.

"What are you doing?" Asked an exasperated Yai.

"Just watch." Lan assured her. They were all taken by surprise when a white aura began to encircle Lan. The aura burst and Lan was standing in a swirl of white light.

"What in the world? Lan what are you doing?" Maylu was eager to know.

"This is called 'full synchro'." Megaman's voice came from the battle table (This is how they did it in the manga. Flash.). "In other words, our souls have synchronized. Lan is looking through my eyes right now, and operating me through his own movements."

"But… he's standing still here…" Dex stared at the glowing Lan.

"I'm here!" Lan's voice suddenly flowed from the speakers. They all stared at the image of the battle field. An image of Lan separated slightly from Megaman. He waved towards them, causing Megaman to wave as well.

"That's so cool!!" Maylu blurted out before anyone else can speak. "Is there more to it?!" It was obvious that she was beyond interested.

"Well why don't I give an example? Dex! You still have that "Flurry Punch" chip you used against me last time?"

"Yeah…" Dex shuffled through his chips and pulled out a specific one. "Here it is."

"As I recall Megaman was unable to dodge most of those punches."

"Yeah he hit me with most of them actually… I wasn't expecting a speed move from Gutsman…" Reminisced the blue Navi.

"Well, try it now." Lan requested.

"Wait…" Began Megaman. "Lan are you sure if he hits us…"

"Don't worry he won't."

"Oh I won't will I? Ok then! Here you go Gutsman!" Dex threw the chip into the slot and Gutsman's arms began to glow green.

"Raah!!" He charged forward and began throwing a barrage of quick punches, faster than one would expect from a powerhouse navi like Gutsman. Yet, Megaman dodged every single punch as if they were moving in slow motion.

"WOW!! He's moving so fast!!" Exclaimed Yai. As she followed the movement of the battle image. "Not a single punch is hitting him!" The chip's power wore off after ten seconds and Gutsman jumped back, huffing and puffing.

"Guts… no way… He dodged every blow!" Megaman dashed right at Gutsman and rammed him in the chest, sending him flying in the opposite direction.

"Yikes…" Dex gawked at his Pet as he watched Gutsman dig himself out of a trench.

"With my mind merged with Megaman, I can make use of his agility and reflexes, boosting them to higher levels by seeing the battle from his eyes. Not to mention an added boost of strength and speed all together due to having control of two will powers. It's pretty nifty!"

"Looks like Lan has been holding back while fighting you all this time Dex…" Yai joked at him.

"WHAT!? Repeat that I dare you!" They all laughed at Dex's reaction.

"Actually it's not that simple…" Lan's voice came from his own body in the real world as he released the full synchro. "It's crucial not to rely on it. All in all, regular netballting is the better choice… If you hold full synchro for long durations of… say… twenty minutes or more, when you release the synch, you feel exhausted. That's beside the point though… Being one with the navi, in mind, soul, and body, is a double edged sword… sure it powers the navi up… but what happens to the navi…" Lan pulled up his sleeve to reveal a scar on his left arm that looked rather recent. "…Happens to the operator… I got this one a few days ago… If you aren't careful theres the possibility of serious injury, or worse..." There was a grim look on the other three's faces. Maylu thought to herself.

_A few days ago… wait!_ "Lan… you netbattled Chaud a few days ago right?"

"Yeah… this is from Protoman's sword…" he pointed to the scar. "We always fight in full Synchro."

"That's reckless!" Yai commented. "Aren't you afraid you'll be hurt?"

"There's always the possibility… but it has been the difference between life and death for Megaman and I countless times." He finished there but there was still a look of worry in her eyes. "If nothing else, it's cool to see through your navi's eyes."

"I think it sounds awesome!" Dex commented as he unplugged his Pet from the game table and inserted a subchip into the bottom slot. "Sure fighting my hurt a bit… but the boost in ability makes up for it right?"

"More or less, yeah…" Lan plugged his Pet into the main terminal as Dex did. "Anyway… we should get something to eat! I'm hungry…"

"Well, since we're here, I could always have the butlers make us something…" Yai began, but Lan and Dex were already arguing on what they should do for food.

As the operators conversed amongst themselves, Megaman traveled through the transmission into the main terminal of Yai's entertainment room. Roll, Glide, and a newly arrived Gutsman were already there. When he arrived he was greeted the usual way, a bow from Glide and a jumping hug from Roll.

"Mega!"

"H-hey Roll." Megaman stumbled, trying to keep himself steady until she was content and let go.

"How come you never told us about full synchro before?"

"Well…" Megaman scratched the back of his head. "It was actually top secret for a while… once people began to figure it out though, they took the restraint off the info…"

"Ah… ok…" Roll was relieved he had a valid reason... not that he was just keeping it from them.

"If I may ask…" Began Glide. "What exactly does it feel like?"

"Well… there's a surge of energy, and you become completely linked with your operator to the point where your thoughts are synchronized as well, hence, the quick decisions and movements…"

"Sounds complicated…" Gutsman mumbled loudly. "How do ya do it?"

"What you need to do is…"

"I'LL FIGHT YOU!"

"BRING IT!" The four navi's attention turned to the screen where Lan and Dex were having quite a scuffle over what they were going to eat.

"OK! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Maylu was between them with both hands outstretched. Yai who had subtly exited the room a few minutes prior, re-entered and clapped her hands twice.

"While you two were bickering, the chef prepared us dinner. Let's go eat." And she left the room. Lan and Dex stared at the door for a moment, then back at each other, and then at the door again before racing each other out the door, yelling about who got first dibs on the food. Maylu was left to herself, with an eyebrow raised at the direction of the exit. After sighing heavily, she too left to get food.

The Navi's all laughed at the situation. In between laughter Gutsman managed to say, "I bet if they DID fight… Dex woulda stomped him!"

"No way! He wouldn't even be able to touch Lan!" Megaman retorted.

"Yeah right!"

"I AM right!"

"You wanna go shorty?!"

"Bring it on fatso!" Roll and Glide just sighed at how similar the two were to their operators as they began fist fighting, which ended in about a minute with Gutsman face first in the ground, Megaman sitting on his back. "Say uncle!"

"Uncle! Uncle!" Gutsman shouted with his voice muffled by the floor.

"It looks like some things never change…" Glide chuckled slightly.

"But I like it this way… it just wouldn't be the same if these two weren't always rough housing…" Roll giggled at the sight.

After a refreshing dinner, the group split ways for the night, Dex bid Lan and Maylu farewell as they came to his street and took off, Leaving the two long time friends and neighbors to walk home together.

"Tenth grade huh…" Lan said out loud.

"Hm?"

"We've really come such a long way…"

"Oh…"

"Kinda hard to believe…" They turned onto their street.

"Well nobody can be a kid forever."

"Yeah… I know, but it makes me wonder what will happen when we graduate…"

"Well I don't know about you… But I plan on going to college…"

"Oh come on Maylu you know I intend the same thing…" Maylu giggled.

"I don't know if you could handle it…" She shrugged jokingly. "I hear they don't tolerate tardiness one bit at colleges."

"Oh har har, I could get to places on time if I tried…"

"I'll believe it when I see it!" She bantered, patting him upside the head. Lan chuckled along with her, but went right back to thinking.

"Still… we only have three years left, counting this year anyway, I just can't help but wonder…"

"Wonder what?" Maylu turned her eyes to him, curious.

"Where has all the time gone? Will all the good times have to end?" Maylu smiled.

_Oh Lan… always worried about the future… and always worried about us._ "The good times don't have to end… and no matter where we are, the net will always connect us." Maylu assured him, bringing a smile to his lips.

"That's true… I guess I just worry too much sometimes…" They stopped in front of Lan's house. "Well, here's where I take my leave of you fair lady…" He bowed, while mocking the voice of a proper gentleman, causing a sarcastic laugh from Maylu.

"Oh you're a riot… See you tomorrow!" She waved to him and continued down the street, but stopped halfway to her house. "Oh!" She quickly turned around and ran back to Lan, who was having unexplained trouble opening his front door. "Hey! Hey! I almost forgot!"

"Huh? What up?" She opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly hesitated. A look of confusion spread across her face, but disappeared quickly.

"Ahem, sorry. Anyway, I wondering if you and Megaman would teach Roll and I how to use F-F-Full S-Synchro." Lan raised an eyebrow.

"Maylu are you alright?" Maylu shook her head slightly.

"Sorry, dunno what that was… But could you?"

"Are you sure you want to? I mean, I did show you the dangers…" Her expression changed drastically and her hands went to her hips immediately.

"Lan Hikari! You should know me better than that! I am just as willing to take risks as you are when it comes to helping people." Lan backed off a step, with a face that had "Yikes!" written all over it.

"Alright, alright! You've got a point." He chuckled. "Tomorrow's Friday, so why not just stop by after Yai's?" Maylu hesitated again.

_Argh! What's wrong with me?_ "Yeah! That'll work! Bye!"

"Actually, hold on a moment… My door won't open… Megaman!" Lan pulled his pet up to eye level and nearly fell over when he saw Megaman asleep on a bed program with his helmet off. "He must be tired from Full Synchro… Maylu, would you mind having Roll take a look at the lock system?"

"Don't you have a key?"

"Yeah but it isn't working and my mom isn't home…" She tilted her head to the side and sighed. "Ok… Roll?" She lifted her Pet to see what her navi was doing.

"Y-yes!?" Roll answered in a rather quick and suspicious manner.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing!" She replied even quicker than the first. Maylu spied a minimized window off to the side.

"Hmm… what's this?" She pulled it up to reveal a direct screen feed from Lan's Pet of Megaman sleeping.

"MAYLU!!!" Roll cried out, embarrassed beyond belief. Maylu smiled devilishly and closed down the window.

"We'll talk about that later…" She was trying hard not to laugh.

"About what?" Lan was confused as to why she was stalling.

"Oh nothing… Hey Roll I need you to check out the lock system on Lan's door. Megaman can't for certain reasons…" Roll just nodded, with her head pointed down. Maylu giggled as she plugged the Pet cord into the system, transferring Roll. In a flash of pink light, Roll touched down in the lock's main system. She scanned the area, but found no evidence of viruses. "See anything?"

"Um… no actually…" That was until Roll heard the sound of digitized snoring behind her. She turned around and saw a Prog lying on the floor. "Eh…?"

"What is it?"

"Uh… the program fell asleep?" Roll tried to explain.

"I thought progs didn't sleep though…" Lan wondered out loud as he scratched his head.

"Wait a sec…" Roll moved closer and kneeled down beside the prog. "Huh?" On the side of the prog's head was the smallest Mettaur virus Roll had ever seen in her life. The met was also asleep. "Maylu look at this."

"Is that a Met? It's so tiny!"

"This thing looks completely harmless… I wonder how it wandered in here?" Roll poked it in the helmet and it stirred awake, causing the prog to awaken as well.

"What the… what happened?" The prog noticed Roll.

"You were asleep, I think that little guy on your shoulder is the problem." The prog glanced to its side and noticed the met. The met had finally awoken fully and was looking around, but when it saw Roll it made what sounded like a little "Meep!" and hid behind the prog's head, peeking around the side. "It's actually kind of cute!"

"Well I don't feel anything right now… I guess when it fell asleep it caused me to as well…" This caught Roll's attention, mainly because all virus ever had to do was touch a program to corrupt it. This little guy only seemed to take effect when asleep, and the result wasn't very destructive.

"Then he is pretty much harmless…" She bent forward and stuck a hand towards the quivering little met. It immediately began retracting. "It's ok little guy, I'm not gonna hurt you." She called to it playfully. I seemed to pick up on her tone and inched toward her hand. She moved her hand closer and it hopped into her palm. It was so small that it fit perfectly on her hand. She giggled and turned to Maylu's screen. "Well here's the problem… doesn't seem dangerous at all though."

"The key's working again. Thanks Maylu, I gotta wake up this lazy head and get my homework done, so I'll see you tomorrow." Lan half waved to her and entered his house. Maylu waved back, too late for him to notice, then turned back to Roll. It seemed the little met had taken a liking to her. It had climbed up her arm and was nuzzling her cheek. Roll was laughing happily.

"Roll, we should get going…"

"Aw…" She looked sad to leave, but then an idea came to mind. "Hey Maylu can I keep it?"

"Keep what… oh! Roll it's a virus… I don't think it would be a good idea."

"But… it's not that bad, I mean, it wasn't even affecting the prog, besides making it sleep…" The met suddenly jumped onto Roll's helmet and plopped down atop her head. "Besides, how can you deny something this cute?"

"Alright fine… you can keep it… but if it starts causing trouble…" She wasn't even able to finish. Roll shouted out happily.

"Thank you! Thank you! You won't have to worry at all! I'll take care of it!"

"Alright, now come on let's go." Roll followed Maylu's orders, holding on tightly to the little met as she transported back to her pet.

…

…

…

Lan entered his room and threw his back pack onto his bed before plugging in his pet. He stared at the pet screen and saw Megaman was still sleeping. Lan smirked. _Time for a little payback for every morning…_ He turned the volume up high on the voice receiver and yelled. "HEY MEGAMAN! WAKE UP!" Megaman jumped from the bed with his buster out and primed, only the get an earful of Lan's laughter.

"Lan that wasn't very nice…" Megaman commented as he recalled his buster and grabbed his helmet from the ground.

"Well you do that to me every morning, so I thought I'd try it out."

"Alright, alright fine…" Megaman transferred from the pet to Lan's computer. "So what do you need?"

"Could you upload my homework onto the computer?"

"Comin' right up." Megaman began tracing windows with his hand shifting files and putting together all the homework due the next day. Lan leaned back in his chair, streatching his arms up and yawning before relaxing, grabbing his pet, and browsing his chip folder. As the data for Lan's homework merged together, Megaman pulled up a net news feed beside the window. His eyes changed, as if he was analyzing something important. "Hey Lan…"

"Yeah." Lan looked up from his pet as Megaman transferred the news feed to the main screen.

"Have you heard about this?" There was an article front and center whose headline read,

"The Shadow Syndicate… Who are they and what are they after?"

"Shadow Syndicate?" Lan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah apparently some new group claiming to be net terrorists… they haven't done anything bad enough to warrant such a label so far though…"

"The name sounds like an online gaming clan made by fifth graders…"

"Ha ha, I can see that… but yeah, for 'Net-Terrorists' They haven't instigated any terror…"

"I guess we can look into it a little when we find the time… unless Chaud does so first…" A small *ping* beeped from the speakers.

"Ah, your homework is ready Lan…" Lan sighed.

"Do it for me will ya…?"

"Haha ye-no…" and Megaman went about his business.

"Sarcastic little…" Lan grumbled to himself as he wheeled towards his bed to gather his school books.

…

…

…

Maylu set her bag down and slid into her swivel chair. She watched Roll as she set down the little Met on her home page.

…_teach Roll and I how to use F-F-Full S-Synchro… _Her mind trailed back to the sudden hesitation in her words. _That was so weird, like it was hard to ask him a question… I mean, I talk to Lan everyday… something made me feel a little light headed back there…_

"Something on your mind Maylu?" Maylu looked to her computer screen to see Roll looking at her, puzzled; the little Met behind her bouncing on a large cyber replica of a bean bag chair.

"Nope, just a little tired." _A lie, but oh well, she doesn't need to know… however…_ A snide grin came to Maylu's face. "Maybe I should ask **YOU**…" She heavily emphasized the word.

"What do you…" Roll realized in an instant what she meant. "Oh… um…" She stammered. "I-I was just…"

"You were stalking Megaman while he was sleeping…" Maylu cut in.

"NO! I…"

"Roll, it's ok. If anybody you know well is unaware that you have a **massive** crush on Megaman, then they don't know you." Roll blushed, looking away from the monitor.

"Then why does he act like it's nothing?"

"Easy… he can be as dense as his operator sometimes…" Maylu joked. Causing both of them to laugh at the heavy amount of truth to the statement.

"Well, fine, I was just minding my own business, until I heard Lan say Mega was sleeping… so, I pulled it up because…" Roll had her head down and was swaying back and forth with her hands intertwined behind her back as she forced out the explanation between random stutters of embarrassment.

"Because you think he looks cute sleeping?"

"AUGH! Maylu! Please tell me I'm not so obvious!" The pink navi removed her helmet in frustration, long blond hair falling upon her back and shoulders.

"Only to me you are Roll." Maylu giggled at her flustered navi as she practically collapsed into the bean bag chair behind her. The impact tossed the little met into the air and it landed in her lap. With Maylu now focused on her homework, Roll took the time to settle down. She picked up the small met and held it out in front of her.

"So… I guess I should give you a name." The virus tilted its head back and forth, keeping its eyes on her. "I know! How about Mouse?" The met closed its eyes, making them resemble upside-down U's and hopped up and down cheerfully. "You like it? Then Mouse it is!" Mouse hopped down onto the bean bag and began bouncing around again. Roll giggled softly and relaxed into the chair as she watched her new friend.

---To be Continued---

* * *

So life is pretty much continuing for them, but why did Maylu hesitate? Will Roll be able to handle her massive crush? What about her knew little friend Mouse? For Megaman and Lan, What is the "Shadow Syndicate"? is it even worth worrying about? Will Megaman pick up on some of Roll's gestures eventually?

I guess you'll all find out at some point, when the other chapters get written.

So there you have it, this is the start of my first non battle fueled story. Sure there will be a few battle, but they wont be the focus this time.

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!


	2. Synchronized Teaching

Wow... i cranked this out REALLY fast... i still dunno how i managed it... But this will be put on hold now until i finish the next chapter of that incredible feeling... gotta keep the stories all rollin!

ANYWAY! Here is the second installment of Love Knows No limit.

Story

"talking"

_Thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me talking)

Enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

Written by: Flashgunner

Ch. 2: Synchronized Teaching

The halls of Alpha High School lay in silence as the students had all disappeared into their class rooms merely seconds before hand. A minute passes before the sound of heavy footsteps began echoing throughout the empty corridors.

"I don't think I'm gonna make it!!!" Lan sped around the corner and made a mad dash towards his classroom at the end of the hallway. "Almost there!" He reached an arm out to blast through the door, but a faint click was heard the instant before he touched the door. He ran face first into the now locked entrance to his class room. "OW!" He yelped as he tumbled backward, holding his forehead.

"If you hadn't taken that minute to eye the new chips in Higsby's shop window on the way, you might have been on time for once…" Megaman scolded him.

"Come on… I was so close… and now I'm locked out, again…" The door suddenly clicked again and opened. Lan quickly got to his feet and entered the classroom. All eyes were on him upon entrance. His teacher shot him a glare.

"Lan Hikari… a valiant effort to be on time today, but you were still a split second off being on time… as you made us all aware by running into the door." This generated laughter from the rest of the class. "I suggest you get your mind right. If this continues there **will** be consequences. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Mr. Takashi…" Lan nodded apologetically.

"Good, now take your seat so we can start class." Lan obeyed, moving to his desk, plugging Megaman into the system, and sitting down. Mr. Takashi started the lesson and everyone had their PC screens up to take notes. As Lan typed/daydreamed he noticed Megaman waving at him from the Pet. Lan glanced toward his navi as Megaman pulled up a small window with a message from Maylu.

"You'll be able to if you try huh?" Lan scoffed silently to himself as he shifted keyboard control to his Pet and responded.

"Hey I tried harder today didn't I? I think it's a step, heck I **almost** made it to class on time." He gave the message to Megaman who transferred it. A few seconds later another message came.

"Maybe if you come crashing through the window next time it will work… the door seemed a bit to solid for you." Lan sighed which Maylu must've heard because when turned his head towards her desk one row up and three columns across, she had a hand over her mouth trying to suppress giggles. Determined not to be beaten, Lan typed back,

"Gonna play rough like that eh? Ok then, I'll bet you one hundred zenny that I'll be on time on Monday." Content with his challenge Lan sent the message. Megaman sighed, knowing Lan should be paying attention. He was sure Roll was feeling the same with Maylu. Her response popped up to the side and Megaman shifted it over for Lan.

"You're on." Lan smiled and went back to the lesson… for the most part.

Megaman was wrong about one thing though; Roll was not paying much attention to her operator's behavior. She was giving her full attention to Mouse, who was balancing on a soccer ball. "You are just so adorable!" Roll commented for probably the millionth time. Mouse was practically attached to Roll. It followed her around everywhere. She didn't mind though. In fact she loved it. The miniature met always found a way to amuse her. Class time flew by, mainly because Roll had something to keep her occupied. The classes usually dragged on with no end in sight.

After a few classes, the cafeteria opened. Students poured into the lines with trays at the ready. Lan was one of the first in line, his stomach being the main cause. He quickly piled foot onto his plate and secured the four person table at which he and his friends always ate. One by one they all approached and sat down, placing their Pet's on the table so they all faced each other. They ate mostly in silence due to hunger and all finished a while before the bell was supposed to ring, so Yai began to speak.

"I hate to say this guys, but we can't hang out at my place afterschool today." Lan and Dex looked disappointed, but Maylu had not wavered.

"Business?" She asked.

"Yeah my daddy is having dinner with some important people tonight."

"We should do something on Saturday then…" Lan began thinking out loud.

"My thoughts exactly actually…" They all looked towards Yai. "I say we hang out at my house all afternoon tomorrow. I'll see if I can get a hold of Tory, Sean, and Chaud as well. And if you feel like it we could even spend the night!"

"Woo! That sounds great!" Dex went straight from disappointed to ecstatic.

"I seriously doubt Chaud will want to." Lan sighed. "A pity too, Netbattling him is so much fun…"

"I don't see what's so much fun about potentially killing each other, the way you two fight head on in Full Synchro." Maylu poked his arm where the scar from Protoman lay.

"Just you wait Lan… once Gutsman and I figure out Full Synchro, we're gonna come at you full force! Right Gutsman?"

"GUTS!" Yelled the giant navi while pounding his fists together.

"I guess you'll feel Gutsman's pain then." Yai commented sarcastically.

"What was that!?" Lan and Maylu laughed as Yai messed with his head.

"I guess this means you can come by right after school then." Lan mentioned as he turned to Maylu.

"Oh! Yeah… maybe I can get it down before tomorrow and surprise everyone!" Lan chuckled.

"If you manage to do it in one night I'll have to call the record books!"

"Why how long did it take you two to get it?" Lan scratched the back of his head.

"Um… Uh… I can't remember…"

"It happened to us randomly for a while through change in emotion and battle conditions, but once we began trying to master it, it took us about two weeks." Megaman answered for him.

"Two weeks? Yikes…"

"Two weeks for what?" Yai cut in, leaving behind a verbally beaten Dex.

"Oh tonight, I'm teaching Ma…"

"For a chip delivery from Netopia!" Maylu interrupted Lan, holding up her index finger as if talking about something important. Yai raised an eyebrow at Lan, who looked confused beyond belief. "We were talking about rare and foreign chips!" She turned to Lan and bobbed her head back and forth slightly as if to say "JUST PLAY ALONG!" Lan got the message.

"Uh… Yeah, like that new chip being advertized… the new "Hero Sword" model!" Lan's acting was terrible.

"I'm not buying it, but whatever; you two can go back to flirting…" Maylu blushed and Lan inched forward on the table.

"H-hey! Yai!" They both sighed and went back to their conversation. "So… uh… why the secrecy?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"I want to surprise them!" she whispered back. "So Roll…" She turned the Pet towards her, but stopped speaking at the sight of her fast asleep, laying down on her bean bag chair. "I was wondering why she was so quiet… Roll… Hey… ROLL!"

"Is something wrong? Megaman asked Maylu.

_Oh I bet that little met fell asleep on her… someone has to go wake her up…_ She suddenly had a sneaky idea. "Hey Megaman… could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Roll fell asleep and turned the volume off of the Pet's speakers, so I can't wake her. Would you mind waking her up for me?" She said with a sadistic hint in her voice.

"Sure… Lan?"

"Already sending ya." Lan pointed out as a blue glow encircled Megaman and he disappeared in a blue flash. He touched down in Maylu's Pet and immediately spotted Roll, lying on her back on the bean bag chair. He casually walked towards her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Roll…" He shook her lightly. "Roll…?"

"Mmm…" She mumbled as she stirred, but did not wake up. Megaman tried again and again, each time with the same result. Then he spotted something on her opposite arm. "Is that… a mettaur? He spied the tiny virus, latched to her arm with its little helmet covering its small spherical body. Knowing mets could not be moved much less harmed while its helmet is covering itself, he tapped it on the head twice. It awoke, slowly looking back and forth, but once it saw Megaman's hand reaching for it. It sprang from Roll's arm and hid behind her body. Roll began to wake up slowly right as Megaman made a lunge for the met, but missed horribly as it scampered away from him.

"Huh?" He heard Roll say as he began to fall.

_Uh oh…_ Megaman thought as he realized he was going to land…

"OOF!" … Right on top of her. "M-M-M-Mega!?!?" Roll nearly turned from pink to red as Megaman had inadvertently landed on her in a rather suggestive way.

"S-SORRY!!" Megaman removed himself as quickly as he could, spotting the small met to his right. "I didn't mean to land on you!" He frantically tried to explain. "I was going after that little thing!" He dove to the ground trying to catch the met, but it got away again. He turned around, ready to make another go at it, but stopped dead when it ran to Roll, jumped up on her shoulders, and hid behind her neck, peeking out at Megaman.

"Stop." Roll motioned to him. "No need to bust this virus. This was the little guy that made the prog in your house lock sleep yesterday… he's pretty harmless except for the whole sleeping thing, so I decided to keep him!"

"Oh…" Was Megaman's only answer, a bit confused. "Sorry about attacking him…her…uh… it…?"

"I don't think it really matters, I generally refer to it as a he… Oh! His name is Mouse!" She put her hand to her shoulder and Mouse trotted into her palm. "Here. Come meet him!" Megaman nodded and walked towards her, the thought of lying on top of her, even if it was by accident, was lingering longer than he had hoped. But as he drew near, Mouse squeaked and ran back up Roll's arm to hide behind her head again.

"Well I don't blame him; I was chasing him a moment ago…"

"Oh well, with the amount of time we hang out, I'm sure he'll feel safe around you eventually… anyway, why did you come?"

"Mouse fell asleep on you, so Maylu couldn't wake you up… that's pretty much it…" The lunch bell rang throughout the school. "Ah, shoot, I gotta get back to Lan… see ya tonight!" He waved as he disappeared before she could respond.

"Bye… Mega… she said softly to herself. She looked up and saw Maylu with a sinister grin. "Maylu? Oh… no… you saw that didn't you?"

"Yeah I did, and I bet it made you feel like you were gonna explode." Mouse jumped off her shoulder and began to wander around the Pet.

"Well, I just woke up and he was **right there** not to mention he was **on top of me**, I thought I was dreaming…"

"To bad he did it by accident… probably doesn't even realize you actually liked it…"

"Maylu…" Roll made a pouty face at her.

"Ok… Ok… I'll stop picking on you…" The screen turned away as Maylu secured the Pet into her hip holster. Roll huffed an exasperated sigh as she paced around the Pet, thinking to herself. _Mega… Mega… Mega… … what do think of me? I show more signs than Netopian city street round-a-bout, but you barely ever react to them… well he either doesn't like me like that… or he's just shy… I hope it's just shyness… that would make him even cuter…_ She stopped and eyed Mouse, who was doing head-spins with his helmet on the floor right in front of her. She giggled and bent down. He stopped spinning, and faced her, still upside down. "You are so lucky Mouse… you don't have to deal with stuff like crushes and love… not a care in the world…" Mouse blinked twice and began rocking side to side on his head. Roll smiled at him. "You are also the goofiest thing I've ever seen…"

…

…

…

When school finally let out for the weekend, the four met by the entrance as usual, but split up for home instead of Yai's. Lan and Maylu stopped in front of the Hikari residence.

"I'm going to go grab drop my stuff off; I'll be over in a minute." Lan nodded and entered his house.

"Home so early, honey?" His mother greeted him.

"Yeah, Yai's father is having an important dinner meeting today or something… oh, Maylu's gonna come over here in a few minutes is that alright?" His mom laughed lightly.

"Lan, you know Maylu is always welcome here… I'll prepare extra dinner just in case."

"Thanks mom." Lan made his way up the stairs and dropped his bags beside his bed before unhooking the Pet from his belt. (The Pet's I'm using here are the ones from 3, the first season of the show, the second kind he has in the manga, etc. They were always my favorite; I never liked the Pet models in .exe 4 through 6. Flash.) "Alright Megaman, wanna warm up a bit before they get here?"

"Sure, I'll load up the training program, plug me in." Lan pulled the cord out his pet and plugged it into his computer. A moment or two later… "All ready Lan, shall we?" Lan picked up the Pet and gripped the handle.

"Let's do it!"

…

…

…

Maylu rang the doorbell to Lan's house, waiting for it to open, but instead she heard,

"Come in Maylu!"

_Lan must've told her…_ She thought as she opened the door and let herself in. Haruka was busy at the stove, the fresh smell of curry radiating towards the door. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Hikari." Maylu greeted politely with a small bow.

"Maylu, it's good to see you. Lan is upstairs… don't get to involved with anything though, dinner will be ready shortly…"

"Oh I hope I'm not putting extra work on you…" Haruka turned from the stove look at her.

"Nonsense, Maylu. Making dinner for three is barely different than for two."

"Alright… thank you very much."

"It's my pleasure. Now hurry on up, I don't want to keep you from Lan." She giggled at the end of her sentence. Maylu rolled her eyes at this gesture and made her way up the stairs to Lan's room. She knocked twice on the door… but there was no answer. She waited a few seconds before knocking again. Still nothing.

"Lan?" She called into the room. "Lan, are you in there?" She put her ear to the door and heard what sounded like the sound of fighting coming from his computer speakers. _Hmph! Is he too busy netbattling to let me in?_ She turned the door knob and threw the door open, ready to give hive a good verbal assault, but stopped dead when she saw him standing in front of his computer with the white aura of Full Synchro enveloping his body. _Oh… I guess that explains it._ She walked up to him, looking him up and down, wondering if it was dangerous or not to get near the aura. She waved her hand in front of his eyes to see if there was any response, but he stood perfectly still. _Wow… looks like Full Synchro fully transfers the conscious into your Net Navi… I wonder what it feels like… and how do you pull it off? …_ She shifted her eyes away from Lan and gazed towards the computer screen where Megaman was fighting against a training program of stored virus data. She watched with interest how swiftly he moved and how powerful his attacks were. Each virus went down in one strike, most before they could even get an attack off. _If I can learn Full Synchro… will I be able to fight like that? _Megaman blasted the final virus and exhaled. He looked towards the view screen to see Maylu watching.

"Hey Maylu's here!"

"So she is." An image of Lan split off of Megaman slightly. Maylu waved into the screen at them. "Ok give me a second here…" As the two were getting ready to release the Synch, a Swordy virus, that Lan and Megaman had failed to delete, sprung up behind them with its lavender blade reared back and ready to strike. Maylu saw it with enough time to yell,

"Look out!!" Megaman turned his head around to see the Swordy swing at him, but using the boost from Full Synchro, he managed to turn around quick enough to catch the sword in his left hand; the edge cutting into his palm slightly. Grunting in pain briefly, Megaman reformed the mega buster on his arm and fired a blast right through the virus, deleting it. Both Maylu and Megaman breathed a sigh of relief. Lan released his Synch from Megaman and the white aura disappeared. The first thing that Lan noticed was that Maylu looked a bit guilty. "Sorry I distracted you…"

"Ah don't worry, it was my fault for not realizing it was still…" Lan had his left hand held up, but he quickly put it behind his back. "…there…" Maylu gave him a bewildered look.

_Why did he hesitate…?_ Maylu's eyes shot wide open when she saw something dripping on the floor behind him. _Is that… blood?!_ "Lan!" She reached for his left arm, but he retracted quickly.

"What's wrong Maylu?" He tried to play it off.

"Don't fool with me Lan! Let me see your hand!" She managed to grab his arm, but he held it in place against her pull. She lightened up for a second and looked him straight in the eye. He was ready to retort, but the amount of worry and concern in her eyes made him stop. He sighed and let her pull his arm forward. She gasped at the sight. His hand was drenched with blood seeping from a large gash on his palm. She let go of his arm and stumbled a few steps back. He scratched the back of his head with his clean hand.

"Yeah… Catching that sword kinda hurt… I guess this is your first lesson in Full Synchro… **ALWAYS** be **FULLY** aware of your surroundings. One slip up can be deadly." Lan opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out a roll of white bandages. The end part dangling off to the side was ripped, signaling to Maylu that this wasn't the first time they've been used. "Ah shoot… this is going to be tricky with one hand. Maylu came to her senses and grabbed the bandages from him, pushing him into his chair in the process. "Maylu?"

"Let me do it… there's no way you'll properly bandage it with one hand… c'mon, put your hand up." Lan obeyed and lifted his hand, palm face up. Maylu unwound a few feet of bandages and gingerly wrapped them around his hand until the blood flow was controlled. She tied off the end and set his hand down on his desk gently. "How's that feel?" she questioned him as he moved his hand around, testing the movement and pain.

"Better than I could ever do… You're lucky Megaman… a cut like this is nothing you couldn't heal in a second…" Maylu turned for a moment to plug her Pet into Lan's PC, before turning back to him. She watched him as he kept examining her handiwork, the thought of how vulnerable the operator becomes while using Full Synchro cycling through her mind. Then it hit her.

"Lan… All the times you've fought to save the world… The Life Virus, Gospel, Alpha, Duo, Nebula Grey, and The Cybeasts… You fought them all in Full Synchro?" Lan was silent for a moment. Wondering what she would say if he said yes. He wasn't about to lie to his best friend though.

"Um… Yeah." Maylu looked shocked to hear this.

"Are you insane!? Megaman was almost deleted during every one of those incidents! You could have been killed so easily!" Lan shook his head.

"But it was Full Synchro that gave me the power to defeat all of them…" Maylu quieted down a bit.

"Still…"

"When the world and the people I care about are in danger… I'll do anything to protect them, even risk my life for them…" Maylu couldn't help but feel touched by the words, but she didn't let any of it show.

_That's Lan for you… always putting the needs of the many over the needs of the few. _"Well, teach me then." Lan was a bit surprised by the sudden change in subjects.

"Eh..?" Maylu giggled at his confusion.

"I don't want you to be the only one risking your life all the time… What good are the people you try to protect if they can't offer arms for you to fall back on?" Lan smiled.

"Touché… Okay first things first…"

…

Inside the Pet, Megaman was organizing the files for Lan's homework, which he knew Lan wouldn't touch until late afternoon Sunday, but the earlier he got it all in order the better. Once he had them all in order, he reached out to guide them into a folder, but was cut off.

"MEGA!" Roll latched onto his back, knocking him forward and causing the files to disperse.

"Aw Roll! I just got that all organized…" She let go of him, intertwining her hands together behind her back.

"Oops…" Megaman sighed and waved a hand at her.

"Nah, don't worry about it, I'll just do it later." Megaman gathered the files together and was about to put them aside, but Roll caught him by the arm.

"Wait, give them here." Megaman didn't raise question, he just handed them over. Roll held the files out in front of her and her antenna curled forward. They created a purple bubble of light around the files. Megaman watched as all the files organized themselves in less than five seconds. She grabbed the finished product, compressed it together and handed it to Megaman, who raised an eyebrow at her.

"Heh… show off…"

"Hee hee!" Megaman dumped the file cluster into the "to do" folder right as Lan called to him.

"We're gonna get started, are you ready?"

"Ready and able Lan."

"Ok…" Lan turned a 180 to face Maylu, who was sitting on his bed. "… There are a few things crucial to Full Synchro… first, emotion. Emotion is what sets the stage for synchronization mainly because a sharp change in emotion in both operator and navi can trigger it. Second, a connection with your navi…"

"Connection?"

"Yeah, like friendship and compatibility… you and Roll are pretty much as close as Megaman and I, so this should be no problem. The more you and your navi interact with each other in harmony, the easier full synchro becomes. Finally, and most importantly, **desire.**" Maylu noticed a harsh emphasis on the word. "The desire to protect those important to you by any means necessary is the main catalyst for the activation…" Megaman cut in from the PC.

"Lan and I have found this to be the easiest way to trigger it, and the stronger the desire, the higher the synch level. This has occurred on many occasions. Lan almost managed a perfect 100% synch with me when we were chasing Bubble Man around the net during the second WWW uprising." Maylu recalled the incident with the fake dishwashers that trapped her in a bubble primed to explode, only to be saved by Lan at the last moment.

_He's even put his life on the line to save mine… I can't believe he put so much on the line for me… And other people… he's so selfless… _Maylu quickly put her hand to her face to conceal a small blush, playing it off as a gesture to help her think.

"So go ahead."

"Huh?" She snapped out of her thoughts.

"Give it a try." He repeated.

"That's a bit sudden……"

"The way to do it is through desire so… I guess imagine a scenario where something very important to you is on the line." Megaman suggested, always ready to give a more thorough explanation.

"Um… ok, here's a possible scenario…" Roll began. Burning building, parents stuck inside, only way to defeat virus is full synchro…"

"That's a bit morbid Roll…" Maylu commented.

"But they said heavy desire to protect or save someone… I'm only giving a situation…"

"Okay…" Maylu gave in. "Let's try it then." The two nodded at each other and closed their eyes, trying to picture the situation in their minds. Lan watched her first attempt, mentally critiquing her. She gritted her teeth and let out a small growl of anger.

_Smart… she's having trouble so she's trying to mix emotion with it too._ Lan kept his eyes on her, surprised when he saw one little white spark before she exhaled and began breathing panting. _Wow… almost got it to start up! She's a quick learner._ She put a hand to her forehead and began to teeter slightly before plopping onto his bed, slightly dazed. Lan got up from his chair almost instantly. "Whoa there… are you alright?" She blinked a few times before answering.

"I… felt something weird and… suddenly got real dizzy…"

"Well to be honest I'm amazed. It was only for a split second but you came real close to starting the synch." Maylu stopped rubbing her head.

"Really…?"

"Yeah! There was a small white blip before you let go."

"What about the dizziness?"

"Might've over concentrated a little bit, plus this was the first time you felt the pre-effects… I guess your body didn't know how to handle it."

"I see… Roll, want to try again?" Maylu's voice was slightly weak. It was obvious that she was still somewhat dizzy.

"I think it might be a few minutes…" She heard Megaman call from the PC. Maylu and Lan peered into the screen to see Megaman holding onto a fainted Roll. "I think it hit her pretty hard."

"Oh wow…" Was all Maylu could say.

"Yeah… as you keep trying, it will take less and less of a toll on you."

"That's a relief…" Suddenly a voice echoed from downstairs.

"Lan! Maylu! Dinner is served!"

"Okay! We're coming down!" Lan answered his mother before turning back to Maylu. "Can you walk alright?"

"I'm pretty sure I ah!" she stumbled almost hitting the door, but Lan managed to catch her before she did. "Thanks… I guess I'm still a little dizzy."

"Careful… there, you almost reenacted my fiasco this morning." This gave them both a good laugh. Lan hoisted her up. "You'll feel better after some of my Mom's famous curry! Come on I'll help you down." He held out his arm and she held onto it as they descended.

Haruka couldn't help but me amused by the sight of Maylu clutching Lan's arm, which upon mention was quickly shot down and waved off quickly in rapid succession by the two as anything. She placed two bowls of curry on the table for the two of them and got herself a bowl as well before sitting down across from them.

"So…" She began. "Maylu, how's school been going for you?" Maylu placed her spoon down to answer, giving a slightly amused/annoyed look at Lan who was scarfing down his food at high speeds.

"The new year has started smoothly so far… The workload hasn't increased that much…"

"How are the teachers?"

"I've enjoyed them… Our English teacher, Mr. Takashi is great, and he's been a little more lenient than Ms. Mari was with Lan's morning 'punctuality'" She joked. Lan coughed as he swallowed a large portion of his rice without chewing.

"Aw Maylu… she didn't need to hear that…"

"Lan, it's your own fault for not getting up the first time Megaman tells you to… Oh how you take after your father though… Yuichiro was always bursting into the class room at the last minute… oh how I miss the high school days…" Haruka trailed off all starry eyed. Maylu smiled at her, but Lan had already gone back to eating. Suddenly Haruka noticed Lan's hand. "Oh my! Lan, what did you do to you hand?" Lan wasted no time in fibbing.

"I fell on my up the stairs and cut my hand on the vent." He said it so casually that no would could call him out. Only…

"You were netbattling in Full Synchro again…" Lan flinched as his mother hit the nail dead on the head. "How many times have I told you to be more careful? Please honey, only use it if you must…"

"But Mom…"

"No buts mister, you need to take better care of yourself…" Lan decided to focus back on his curry before any more "nagging" started, but his mother was just worrying him as mothers do. The dinner continued without much conversation… the only noise heard being Lan pigging out.

…

…

…

…

Meanwhile…

"Damn! That didn't work either…"

"Guts… We should ask them…" Dex slammed his fist on the desk.

"No! We can do this Gutsman! We just need to keep trying!" The large navi scratched his head.

"But… what haven't we tried yet? Guts… tired…"

"Well we've tried thinking the same thing… doing the same pose… making the same noise… and many more, most of which I can't remember…" Dex paced back and forth, running options through his head.

"How about we both think of smashing megaman at once?" Dex spun around quickly, pointing at the screen.

"That's it! Good thinking Gutsman! Our desire to defeat Lan and megaman will fuel the full synchro! Let's do it!"

"Guts!" They both closed their eyes and stood still, both with the intangible idea of smashing Megaman in a netbattle. After ten minutes. Dex opened his eyes to see Gutsman sound asleep on the monitor.

"GUTSMAN!!!!!!!!"

And they continued to try to no avail, not realizing how long it took Megaman and Lan to get it right.

…

…

…

…

Megaman yawned and sat back in his cyber chair, looking at the ceiling of the PC space. He looked back down and pulled up a new news article about the "Shadow Syndicate." The article was on how they planted viruses in Ribbirta's news van to mess up the broadcasting. Again he was unimpressed by their attempts at Net-Terrorism. They claimed to be the biggest crime group since the WWW, but they kept hitting the most insignificant targets, almost as if it was all just some big prank fest.

"Nnhh" He turned and faced Roll, who he had laid on his bed after she passed out. "Huuhhh…?" She sat up, groggily, robbing her eyes.

"Morning sleepy head." She jumped at the sound of Megaman's voice.

"Oooh… Jeez…" She clutched her head.

"For trying Full Synchro for the first time you did exceptionally well… to the point where you almost had it… but because your body wasn't used to it, it couldn't quite handle the energy surge."

"So, I passed out?"

"Yeah, Maylu managed to stay up, but she was extremely dizzy by the looks of it."

"Ah… I have a throbbing headache…" She shifted so that she was sitting upright on the bed with her legs dangling off the edge and grabbed the sides of her helmet firmly with both hands.

"Maylu and Lan wen…" Megaman stopped as he saw her hoist the helmet off her head, exposing her long blonde hair. She rotated her head in a circular motion once, making her golden locks whip around and loosen up. Megaman could only stare; he had never seen her without her helmet before.

"What did Lan and Maylu do?" Roll questioned as she rubbed her hands on her forehead. When she didn't get a response she retracted her hands from her head and glanced towards Megaman. He was staring blankly at her. After a moment, she caught on. "Oh!" She grabbed her helmet and held in on her lap. "You've never seen me without this thing on before have you?" Megaman snapped from his fixed gaze.

"Uh…erm… what did you say?" A thought suddenly came to Roll.

_Was he… staring at me?_ A slight blush crept onto her face. "Um I said, this is the first time you've seen me without my helmet…"

"Uh… Yeah!!" He answered rather loudly and conspicuously. _W…wow… That's the first time I've… looked at her that way… but… that hair! It makes her look so… beautiful…_ The void of awkwardness suddenly collapsed as the door swung open, Lan and Maylu entering. The two Navi's immediately stood attention, waiting for the next plan for the night.

"Want to try it one more time? You did pretty good the first time…"

"She did pretty **WELL **Lan… pay attention in English class…"

"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you…" Lan got right in front of the screen with a scowl on his face.

"Cause you wouldn't get out of bed if I wasn't here!" Megaman snapped right back. Roll and Maylu giggled at the fighting brothers as Maylu approached the screen.

"How about it Roll? One more go? According to Lan, we will probably not pass out this time…"

"Ok… if you say so…" Roll placed her helmet back on her head and stood ready. "Different scenario?"

"Why not?" Maylu glanced over to see Lan and Megaman still bickering. _Oh those two… _"Ok how about this… Let's picture our friends caught in a battle with powerful viruses, the only way to save them is… well you know the rest."

"Okay! Let's do it!" They both closed their eyes again. Maylu and Roll had both unintentionally thought of something else. The "friends" in the vision were replaced by just Megaman and Lan. The thought had an unexpected effect. Something withen both of them seemed to give way, and a harsh amount of emotion and desire flowed free. Suddenly there was a surge sent through both of them and a white light burst from Maylu's body.

"Whoa!!!" Lan and Megaman said in unison as they saw Maylu encased in a pulsing white light. But, it lasted as quickly as it came. After a few seconds…

"AH!!!" The white light was gone, and Maylu lurched backward, losing her balance. Lan quickly caught her from falling. Megaman doing the same to Roll.

"Incredible… I can't believe she managed to form the aura on her second try… she went another step beyond her body and now she really is passed out…"

"Lan!" Megaman called to his operator, who quickly looked to the PC. "She's out again!"

"Maylu couldn't hang on this time either…" Lan pondered the next course of action as he looked over Maylu, making sure she was okay. "Heh… they are both learning this faster than their bodies can adapt to it… Quite interesting…"

"Yeah… it took us so long… but at this rate they could have it in a few days…"

"Megaman, what time is it?"

"Ten thirty." Megaman answered as Lan turned his focus back to the fatigued red head.

"Alright… we might as well take them home. Megaman, go ahead and transfer Roll back to her Pet." Megaman nodded and picked up Roll in his arms. He linked to her Pet and a bright flash signaled his departure. Upon touching down in Roll's Pet, Mouse popped up from behind the bean bag chair and was about to trot over, but saw Megaman and hid behind the chair again. He poked his little head out above the bag and watched as Megaman summoned Roll's bed program. He laid her down gently as he had done before and stared at her for a second, remembering the strange feeling he felt as her long beautiful hair made its first appearance to him. His hand began to move on its own towards her helmet, but stopped just as he was about to touch it.

_No…_ he thought, _that would be too much…_ But his hand kept moving anyway, towards her face this time. He brushed the knuckles of his index and middle finger against her cheek, retracting his hands immediately as if alarmed. _Wha…What am I doing?! What's wrong with me…? I… I guess seeing her differently with her hair down made me… no… nonononono… quit thinking that way Hub, she's your best friend… best friend… best friend… best friend… _He began pounding the thought into his head over and over again. He was almost startled when he felt something touch his hand. He looked down and saw Mouse looking up at him, tilting his head from side to side. Megaman smiled. "Sorry about chasing you earlier… we can be friends right?" He held is hand out, but mouse just stared at him. "It's alright if you are still a little scared. After what I tried to do to you it's understandable." He moved his hand forward and noticed that Mouse stood perfectly still, but seemed to relax when Megaman patted him lightly on the head. "Keep an eye on her for me, okay?" He glanced once more at Roll before turning away. Mouse watched him leave in a flash of blue. He glanced once at Roll, then back to where Megaman had been. After blinking a few times, Mouse turned and trotted over to Roll's pillow where he jumped up and plopped his helmet down over his head to sleep.

…

Lan was carrying Maylu in his arms across to her house when he heard Megaman speak.

"Roll's back in her Pet."

"Okay…"

"I think I'm gonna call it a night Lan, it's been a busy day…"

"Go ahead… I'll plug you into the PC when I get home."

"Thanks…" Megaman muted the Pet and went off to summon his bed program. Lan made his way up the front steps and into the Sakurai household. The lights were already all off, so he assumed her parents were already asleep. He slipped off his shoes at the door and tip toed across the living room and up the stairs. Luckily, Maylu's door was slightly ajar so all he had to do was push against it to let himself into the room. But the real problem occurred when he got there. _Oh, crap……… I didn't really think this through did I?_ Lan stared up at the loft atop which lay her bed. _Hm… ok… let's try this… _He leaned back slightly shifting all of her weight onto his left arm and chest. Using his right arm he climbed up the ladder slowly… **very** slowly. After about a minute he reached the top and sighed in relief. _That could have been disastrous…_ He took a few paces forward, set down Roll's pet on her night stand, and leaned down to lay Maylu flat on her bed. But when he let go and began to move away, he found that he couldn't. Maylu's hands were clamped to his shirt, pulling him forward; her head resting on his chest.

"Ngh…" She mumbled quietly. Lan smiled slightly and gently grabbed her wrists. At this action she let go and lay back on her bed. He pulled the sheet over her, tucking her into bed. He was about to leave, but stayed still for a moment. His eyes were stuck to her face.

_You know… I've never really taken the time… to get a good look at her… _He watched as she stirred slightly and pulled the sheet tighter to her body. _She looks really cute when she's sleeping…_ Suddenly he shook his head… _Ok, if I keep this up any longer I'll feel like a creep later… _He stood up and tip toed to the ladder, getting one last glance as he descended before quietly touching to the floor and silently shutting her door.

---To Be Continued---

* * *

Maylu and Roll are indeed fast learners. So much so that they themselves can't handle it! Dex and Gutsman are adament about learning Full Synchro on their own... but can they do it? The get together at Yai's is approaching! Will i go smoothly or will certain sparks fly? And seriously... what is up with the "Shadow Syndicate"? All will be unfolded in time!

So yeah, now i gotta finish the next chapter of That Incredible Feeling... writing two stories has been interesting so far... when you get writers block, or just get tired of writing for that certain topic at certain times (It happens to me every once in a while) It gives something else to focus on for a while.

As i say in all my end tags... Thank you to all those who read and/or review my writing. You guys are the best!

Please read an review!!

Flashgunner over and out!


	3. A Reason to Act

Wow i can't believe how much i'm getting into the whole two stories thing! I'm actually updating faster than i was just writing one story... this has been an interesting experiment that i plan to continue after such great results.

Not to mention this is also the LONGEST chapter i have ever written... this chapter is longer than half my first fanfic. (You know the crappy zelda one that was aprox. 18,000 words.) This chapter alone is a little over 10,100 words! I was surprised at the end, cause i don't look at the word or page count until i finish a chapter.

Anyway, here is the third installment of Love Knows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me talking)

Enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

Written by: Flashgunner

Ch. 3: A Reason to Act

"Mayluuuuuuu! …………… Maylu! ………………… HEY! WAKE UP ALREADY!"

"Nu I dun vanna…" Maylu responded in a groggy mumble, her voice half muffled by her pillow.

"It's already ten!" Roll yelled in a last ditch attempt to drag her operator out of bed. She was beginning to feel like Megaman and how every morning during the week, a sudden shout would blare from Lan's house, signaling Megaman using the full volume of the speakers to wake the lazy head. The mention of the time however, seemed to do the trick.

"Huh!? Maylu shot up in bed. "Oh no! I slept away the whole morning!" She immediately felt the effects of sitting up in bed too fast. "Whoa…" She swayed a bit as the room seemed to tilt a bit in her vision. Then she suddenly remembered. "Wait a minute! Last thing I remember was trying full synchro again…"

"I think we both passed out this time… I woke up about half an hour ago myself… But how did we get back here…?" The pink Navi questioned looking across the room from her Pet screen. Maylu was contemplating the possibilities as well, coming to only one solution. Her hand went to her mouth to conceal a tiny gasp.

"He didn't… **carry **me here… did he?" She eyed her clothes. They were the same clothes she was wearing all day yesterday, not only that but she did wake up under the covers as well.

"Looks to be that way…" Roll voiced Maylu's thoughts. Maylu couldn't help but feel a little warm.

"Wow… that was… Very sweet of him…" If there was ever an opportunity to grasp, Roll took hold of it immediately.

"Hmm… Looks like I'm not the only one with a crush…" Maylu scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh PLEASE Roll… Lan is my best friend… he's practically a brother to me."

"I didn't know you were into incest then…" Roll commented completely out of the blue.

"Incest…? What? Roll, what are you…?" She was cut off.

"If you see him as a brother, why are you blushing? Huh?" Maylu twisted her head around, peering towards her small mirror beside her bed. Her face was indeed bright red.

"_Incest" she says… Cheeky little… antenna girl…… thinks she's soooooo clever…_ She climbed out of bed and pushed Roll's Pet to be face down on the table.

"Hey!" Roll's voice called against the wooden night stand as Maylu descended the ladder and moved to her PC. Her interest sparked when she saw a message on the screen. It read:

"Hey Maylu! You passed out after the second attempt at Full Shynchro (which was another giant leap beyond expectations) So I brought you home. I'll see ya either at Yai's tonight or on the net!"

-Lan

She stared at his name at the end of the note for a few seconds before shaking her head. She closed the messaged, exited her room, and disappeared into the bathroom down the hall.

…

Inside the Pet Roll was rubbing her palms together as if scheming something.

_Hmm… looks like I can fight fire with fire now… the next time she gives me a hard time about Mega… I'll just do the same to her about Lan! It's about time she started to act differently about him!_ Suddenly a message blipped up in front of her.

"NAVI REQUESTING ENTRY." The computerized voice echoed.

"Who is it?" She asked.

"NET NAVI CONFIRMED AS: GLIDE."

"Glide? Let him in." With a flash of yellow light, Glide materialized in front of her.

"Miss Roll." He greeted politely with a gentlemanly bow.

"Hey Glide, what's up?"

"I bear a message from Miss Yai, is Miss Maylu present?" He looked at the view screen but it was black.

"Well, I think she's taking a shower… plus I'm face down right now as you can see…" She motioned to the view screen. "… so I guess not at the moment… is it on file? I could give it to her…"

"Sure that will work just fine." He reached his hands out and data compiled between them, forming a silver card. "Just read this to her…"

"Thanks…" She grabbed the silver card, looking it over before smiling back at him. He nodded and bowed again.

"I wish I could stay and chat, but I must deliver this to everyone else as well… Ta-ta!" He waved and beamed back to the net.

"Hmm… Let's see…" As she decoded the data she felt something soft and light land on her head. "Good morning Mouse." She said without looking up.

"Meep!" He responded, earning a small giggle from Roll. She never got tired of that cute little noise he made. Eventually she decoded the message and a hologram letter appeared in front of her. She read it a few times and smirked.

"Hmm… this could be interesting…"

…

…

Megaman was up and about in Lan's PC, doing his daily routines in checking the systems as well as the quality and status of the house appliances. All seemed normal as he scanned over the report from all the progs in the house. This job was never really put upon him; it was something he took upon himself to do when he had free time. Lan never really understood why he did it, but Megaman had his reasons. Saving the world a few times as well as being the household of Yuichiro Hikari, the great scientist, made the Hikari residence, as Megaman saw it, a huge target for random virus attacks. A sudden burst of red light behind him broke his focus from the maintenance panel.

"Megaman." A smooth, stern voice called his name. Megaman turned to the familiar voice to greet his long time ally.

"Protoman! Long time no see."

"No time for small talk… Is Lan present?"

_Typical Protoman…_ Megaman thought. "One second…" Megaman went to the view screen. "Hey La… Oh for the love of…" Megaman smacked his hand to his face, groaning while bending his head back. "LAN! IT'S PAST TEN THIRTY! GET UP!"

"Widesword battle chip… Slot-in…" Lan mumbled in his sleep, obviously dreaming about netbattling when he was younger. He used to yell out for no reason every time he used a battle chip.

"LAN I SAID…! Argh! Why do I even bother sometimes…?"

"Huh… wuzzat…?" Lan groggily mumbled as he turned over on his bed, facing his computer.

"You will never change Hikari…" A new voice startled Lan and he sat up in bed.

"Chaud?" He rolled out of bed and approached the screen, still in his boxers. "Ah! And Protoman! What are you guys doing here? How've you guys been?"

"I'm busy so I'll be brief… I'm sure you know of the "Shadow Syndicate"."

"Yeah what about them." Lan asked while yawning and scratching his head.

"As you know, if you've been following the news, there have been attacks on rather pointless locations…" He paused as he eyed Megaman pulling up the current day's news feed.

"Go on…"

"Well… Protoman and I showed up at every single incident, and each time we confronted a navi of said organization, but…" He pause, almost as if he was embarrassed to admit something."

"Yeah…?"

"Well, I don't know how… but the navi always gets away… even when Protoman chases him, he vanishes without a trace… I don't know if he has a universal log out or if he has friends along behind the scenes to help him disappear… But he keeps slipping away! It's been getting on our nerves."

"Sooo… you want my help?"

"No and yes…" Lan immediately picked up on how he placed the "no" first whereas most would have done the opposite. Then again, Chaud was one who barely ever accepted help so to Lan this was normal. "Just keep an eye out… if you hear about a possible incident, head there so you can block his escape while I chase him… otherwise I will catch him eventually." Lan tried not to laugh. Chaud was **really** angry about this. By the sound of things the Navi being pursued wasn't much of a fighter, but he was able to escape the grip of Protoman, so he was obviously a shifty fellow. It was just funny for Lan, seeing Chaud indirectly asking for help while making it blatantly obvious he didn't want to.

"Alright man, no worries, I got your back."

"Hmpf… Alright… Protoman, no time to hang around, we need to get back on patrol."

"Sir!" Protoman responded almost robotically.

"Good luck!" Megaman shouted with no response. "As Protoman approached the exit a yellow light briefly lit the room and Glide stepped out, almost running into Protoman.

"Ah! Pardon me…" He apologized politely. He turned to Megaman but stopped and turned back to Protoman. "Oh! Hold on a second…" Protoman stopped but didn't look at him.

"Make it quick, I'm busy…" He answered coldly as Megaman chuckled.

_As serious as ever… he never loosens up…_ Glide materialized a silver card in his hands.

"This is from Miss Yai…" He held it out, but Protoman still faced the other direction.

"Go ahead Protoman…" Chaud ordered. Protoman turned slightly and grabbed the note. After reading it he displayed it for Chaud, who shook his head before he even finished reading. "There are more important things at hand. As an official, I must focus on the current task." Before Glide could respond, Protoman disappeared in a red flash.

"And he tells me **I **never change…" Lan grumbled while resting his chin in his palm. "Anyway… Glide, I assume you carry some sort of note for us from Yai? I mean she never sends you out on your own unless it's as a messenger…" Glide furrowed his brow.

"Master Hikari, I sincerely hope that wasn't a statement against my slight lack of battle prowess…"

"No no noooo…" Lan waved his hands in front of him. "Not one bit Glide! Please, what has Yai sent you for?"

"Yes, here…" Just as with Protoman, Glide called forth a silver card. "I've yet to visit sir Dex, so I shall be off." He bowed and left quickly.

"What's it say Megaman..?"

"It's a confirmation of the get together at Yai's tonight… by the looks of things it **is **going to end with everyone spending the night…"

"Oh great… a sleepover?" Lan groaned remembering last time they had partaken in one. He had gotten humiliated nearly five times in a game of truth or dare.

"I don't think so… it looks like a normal get together… only straight through till morning…" Megaman commented as he tucked the note away in a side folder marked, "Received".

"Oh…" He paused, suddenly remembering something. "Megaman, would you mind making a run to the ACDC net square? I made a chip order from Numberman a few days back and it should have arrived this morning."

"Sure thing…"

"I'll keep the Pet linked to the net, holler if you need me." On that note, Megaman transferred into the net as Lan pulled up a new window in his PC full of an original battle chip code we was working on.

…

…

"Incoming navi!" A warning voice echoed through Dex's PC. Glide appeared on the page and looked around. _Strange… Where could Gutsman b… _

"Just… One more… time… I think… I got it…"

"Guts guts… let me sleep Dex… so tired…" Glide caught glimps of Gutsman sprawled out on the ground, then looked up to see Dex on the view screen, face down on his desk.

"Ugh… fine… we'll try again later… Oh Glide… didn't see you there…"

"You look awfully tired sir Dex…" Dex's head bobbed back once, clinging to his slightly awake state.

"Gutsman and I… have been trying to get full synchro… all night…" Glide raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't slept?" Gutsman began snoring, which confirmed his question. "I see… Oh well, here…" He took out the last silver card he had. "It's from Yai about the get together, please don't forget."

"I… won't…" *SLAM* Dex was now facing down on his desk, fast asleep. Glide sighed. _Well that takes care of that I hope he doesn't sleep through it… Time to report to Miss Yai…_

…

…

…

Maylu sighed comfortably as the warm water from the shower ran down her body. She still felt a little light headed, but the shower was making up for it, allowing her to relax. She turned the knob until the water stopped and brushed her slick hair out of her face as she stepped out and grabbed a towel. After drying herself off thoroughly, she wrapped herself snugly and stared in the mirror.

_Looks like I'm not the only one with a crush…_ Roll's voice echoed in her head. She scrunched her face as if to mentally disagree with the voice. _Yeah right…_ She thought, even though there was a bit uncertainty dangling to the side. She re-entered her room and disappeared into her closet and emerged with a set of clothes that resembled a larger set of her old favorite light green shirt and blue vest with her pink skirt hanging over her other arm. _Going to be an old fashioned get together… might as well wear an old favorite… _As she slipped into her clothes she kept hearing something, but she couldn't quite place what it was. Then she remembered that Roll was face down on the table beside her bed. _Oops…_ She finished fastening her skirt, putting the vest over her chair for later, and climbed back up to relieve Roll from the night stand.

"That wasn't very **nice**…" Roll snapped at her.

"You deserved it…" Maylu casually responded as she descended the ladder once again, now with Roll's Pet in hand. "Were you trying to get my attention?"

"Yeah I was… but now I'm not gonna tell you why." She crossed her arms and turned her back to the screen.

"Don't be so stingy." Maylu now held the Pet a few inches from her face. "Tell me or I'll send a fake love letter to Megaman." Roll turned around a smug look on her face.

"Yeah sure… I know you really wouldn't."

"Oh?" Maylu watched her Navi cross her arms at tilted her head towards the screen.

"Because if you did I'd do the same with Lan." This obviously irritated Maylu.

"ROLL! Give it a rest with him… I've known him for longer than I've had you…" Roll was pleased with the results thus far. Denial always allowed suspicion to set in.

"You deny it so quickly? My Maylu, you must…"

"I DENY IT BECAUSE IT ANNOYS ME!" Roll winced as Maylu belted her with the angry response. She suddenly realized that she might have hit a soft spot the wrong way. Maylu only yelled like that when something was **really** bothering her, and Roll had most likely just crossed the line.

"Okay… Sorry… Here…" Roll displayed the message from Yai and decided to stay quiet. _Way to go Roll… She's gonna be angry at you all day now…_ She thought to herself as she picked up Mouse from the ground and plopped down in her bean bag chair. Maylu, still fuming, read over the message.

_Spending the night but not a sleep over party? I never knew Yai not to take the opportunity to have one… Four? That works…_ Maylu entered a few commands into her Pet and compiled a response. "Roll…" The navi noted the return of her regular tone and rose from her chair.

"Yes?" Maylu dragged the message file over to her.

"Go take this to Yai's… it's a confirmation for the get together." Roll, knowing she had already overstepped the boundaries once, quickly complied and compressed the message.

"I'm going to stop by the square as well… is that alright?" She asked as she de-materialized the note into encoded data.

"That's fine… just don't stay out too long." Maylu's voice had become dull and monotonous. Roll began feeling bad about teasing her…

_Maybe something about Lan really is bothering her..._ She thought as she gave Mouse a quick pat on the head before Maylu plugged her into the PC. She made her way to the Homepage and was halfway to the exit when she saw Maylu leave the room. She shrugged and was just about to step into the exit when the door swung open and Maylu poked her head back in, a bewildered look plastered to her face as she stared towards her loft. "What's wrong Maylu?" Roll questioned at the sudden re-appearance. Maylu didn't say anything for a few moments; she just kept staring at the ladder, the loft, and her bed as if confused by something.

"How in the **WORLD **did he get me up the ladder?"

…

…

…

…

"I'm here to pick up a battle chip order?"

"Sure. Your Operator's name?" The green and yellow uncustomized navi traced a window with his hand, creating a keyboard.

"Lan Hikari." The Navi's hand slipped off the H key.

"Hikari?! Are you Megaman!?" Megaman put a hand to the back of his head and sighed as other navis in the general vicinity heard his name and began staring while mumbling back and forth to each other about the "Famous Megaman."

"Yes… please… the order…" He mentioned slightly exasperated at the large amount of unwanted attention he was getting.

"Oh! Yes, yes, of course just a minute…" Megaman began tapping his foot as the navi pulled up the order forms. He had to finish this quick or else he might be swarmed by the public. He and Lan usually had no problem avoiding attention, but from time to time someone would recognize him and navis would begin crowding him or asking for a net battle.

"Here you go!" The Navi handed Megaman a bundle of battleship data.

"Thanks…" Before he could turn, the Navi kept going.

"It was such a pleasure to meet you!"

"Yeah, it's…"

"Please come by anytime!"

"Okay… bye…" Megaman left before the chip dealer could continue, but the damage had been done. Megaman walked towards the exit, but he spied four girl navis who were eyeing him. Two pink and lavender normal navis and two customized. He tried to subtly walk faster, but the red customized one with a long black ponytail turned and whispered something to the other three. They all snapped their eyes back to him and began approaching. Megaman was suddenly cut off from the exit by their movement. _Oh no… the girls are always the hardest to deal with…_ But just as they were about to reach them, Megaman felt something run into him and two pink arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"Hey Mega!!" A familiar voice cheerfully chimed into his left ear. He smiled in relief as he saw the four girls stop and look frustrated.

_Perfect timing Roll… _He turned his head to the left to meet the bright grin of his longtime friend. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Just browsing the shops… what's that?" She focused on the clump of data Megaman had in his hands.

"Oh!" He glanced back to see the girls still looking at him as if waiting for Roll to leave. "Just some battle chip, Lan wanted me to pick up… Are you heading back?" Megaman put his plan into action.

"Yeah I just finished!" She let go of him and moved to his side so they could comfortably see each other.

"Let's walk back together." He suggested. Roll of course agreed almost instantly, Megaman glanced back at the girls and saw them storm off. _Mission successful!_ He beamed happily as the two of them made their way onto the net.

…

"So are you and Maylu going to Yai's tonight?"

"Of course we are. Why wouldn't we?" She responded as Megaman shrugged.

"I dunno, I though you guys might be a bit tired after both passing out while training." Roll put her hands on her hips and leaned towards him.

"It takes more than **that** to keep us down." Megaman backed away jokingly.

"Alright, alright… I was only asking." He chuckled as she giggled at his response. It grew quiet between the two as they continued down the web road. Roll began thinking about some of the recent instances between them. The way she looked at it, this was a very good time to talk about a more personal matter she had been dealing with. Neither Lan nor Maylu were around to listen in, and she wasn't sure when she'd be granted another chance like this.

"Hey, Mega…" She began in a hushed tone in order to grab his attention in a different way, but she was cut short when something suddenly rammed her in the back and threw her forward, falling face first towards the ground.

"Yaaaa!!!" She yelped as she shielded her fall with her forearms. A figure in a black cloak flew past Megaman.

"Roll! Are you o-"

"You jerk!" Roll suddenly yelled as she popped up and ran after the figure with the intention "forcing" him to apologize. "Come back here!!!"

"Megaman! What's going on?" A voice from above. Megaman saw Lan on a view screen.

"Just a sec Lan!" Megaman took off after Roll.

"Roll!?" Maylu appeared as well, having heard Roll scream, but Roll was too dead set on chasing down whoever had the nerve to knock her over to notice. Megaman was about to catch up to her, when the figure turned around mid-step. Around the figure's neck was an amulet that had two S's carved into it; one black and one red.

_S S? _Megaman thought for a moment. _Shadow Syndicate?!_ The possibility came all too late as the figure reached a black hand out from under his cloak. The hand began to glow and change shape. By the time the weapon had formed on his hand Megaman's eyes shot wide open. It was a red cannon. And he was pointing it at Roll. "ROLL! LOOK OUT! THAT'S AN M-CANNON!!!!" If only he had yelled a split second sooner. The cannon fired, nearly point blank, and hit home square on Roll's left shoulder, blowing it to smithereens. At first she did not yell or wail. She merely was thrown back by the explosion and fell to the ground, but as soon as she regained her focus and realized her shoulder was no longer there, the pain began making itself apparent, and it gradually became the most painful thing she had ever experienced.

"Ah… Ah…" She stammered. Shivering as the sight of scrambled data failing to reform her limb, and slowly eating away at her body. "YAAAAAA!!!!!!" She screamed. Grabbing what was left of her side and clutching it tightly, trying to sooth the pain to no avail. Megaman sprinted to her, dropping the data he was holding and kneeling down beside her.

"ROLL!!!!" He didn't know if it would be wise to touch her. She had fallen onto her back and was writhing violently in pain while screaming.

"Oh my god!!!" Maylu had her hands clamped over her mouth. An official appeared from around the corner, glancing back and forth as if looking for something, but when his eyes landed on Roll he ran up to them. Soon more officials turned onto the road and made their way over quickly.

"We have a hurt civilian! Forget the runner!" the one kneeling down yelled to the others. Megaman looked up to see the group of officials, he felt a gust of wind pass him he turned and caught glimpse of Protoman charging towards the direction he had last seen the cloaked navi. He turned back to Roll and looked over the damage. It was getting gradually worse. The M-cannon not only dispersed the data holding her shoulder together, the force of the blow she received had scrambled most of her data, causing the edges of her wounds to fall apart as opposed to attempt to reform. It immediately came clear to Megaman that if she wasn't helped fast, she would die. "Call a medic immediately!" Megaman's focus returned to the officials.

"No! That will take too long, she won't last!" There was only one way he could think of to save her, he was just glad his only option was recently invented. He grabbed an official by the arm. "I'm Megaman, you should recognize me… Listen up. I'm taking her back to her PC, I want you to go to the square and get a max repair subchip from the subchip dealer… you know the new ones for emergency use?" The official glanced at Roll, whose de-rezzing shoulder was beginning to spread onto her chest. "Tell him it's an emergency, show your official ID if you have to, just get it as quickly as possible and head for her PC… it's located in Den Area 53217 PC link 617.44.70. Now hurry!" The official nodded and ordered his squad to clear a path at they sprinted for the square. Megaman gingerly touched Roll, who had quieted down, but was still having spasms. "Hold on Roll… Help is on the way…" He carefully picked her up, earning a small yelp as twinges of pain surged through her. He spotted the chip data on the ground. _Oh shoot…_

"Megaman!" Lan called to him. The blue navi looked up to his operator. "Leave it…" Lan stole a glance at Maylu who still had her hands over her mouth and a few light tears were rolling down her face. "It's much less important than Roll… I'm going to head over to Maylu's house, I'll meet you there!" Lan's screen shut off, leaving only a terrified Maylu above them. Before Megaman could take off, a normal green navi who had seen the whole thing approached them and picked up the chip data.

"Don't worry, I'll carry it for you Megaman." Megaman stared for a moment, and then nodded.

"Thanks. Follow me." They began rushing towards Maylu's PC. "What's your name?"

"I'm Guile…"

"Thanks again, I appreciate it."

"Glad I could help the famous Megaman." Despite the seriousness of the situation, Megaman couldn't help but chuckle. Nothing else was said as the two focused on reaching their destination.

…

…

Maylu sat completely still; petrified by the state Roll was in as she watched Megaman carry her along the net. A few other navis had joined him and the navi carrying the data. They were clearing away any viruses that tried to bar their way. She barely took notice when Lan burst into her room. She didn't budge an inch… her eyes glued to the screen.

"Maylu!" Lan moved hastily to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. "Maylu… are you alright?"

"R…Roll… She…" She stammered as she tried to voice her thoughts, small tear stains on her cheeks. Lan got in front of her and placed his hands on both of her shoulders.

"She's going to be okay Maylu… Megaman won't let her be deleted…" Before she could bring up any sort of response a voice echoed from her speakers.

"Lan! Lan! Are you here?" Lan turned his focus to the PC where he saw Megaman nearly with his face pressed the view screen. Lan acknowledged him while noticing a few extra navis in the background, three normal navis, and two customized, one of which happened to be Iceman, the other he had never seen before. In response to his operator's glances, Megaman saved him the trouble of asking. "I picked up some help on the way, including Iceman… apparently Tory's in town." Lan noticed that one of the normal navis was holding onto the chip data, then focused on iceman.

"Why is Tory here?"

"Yai invited him for later tonight…" The small Eskimo replied as he and a girl normal navi stood by the link to ward off any incoming viruses. They had left the link open so the official arriving with the subchip data could enter without authorization, thus get in quicker. The other normal navi and custom navi (A yellow human type that looked similar to a female normal navi, only she had a human face.) had called Roll's bed program and were carefully laying her on her bed. She was still in pain, evident by her scrunched face, squinted shut eyes, and constant painful groans. The flaking data had eaten away her shoulder entirely and was now coming apart on her torso. Maylu could barely stand it.

"Oh GOD!!!" She grabbed Lan by the shirt and pulled him towards her, resting her forehead on his shoulder, quivering. Lan hugged her tightly.

"Maylu! Get a hold of yourself! She needs you!" But she only clutched his shirt tighter. Lan didn't know what else he could do. By the state Roll was in it was obvious that she would not have lasted long enough for the official's medic to arrive. Megaman's plan was the only possibility fast enough to save her. As for Megaman, he had made his way over to her and grabbed hold of her right hand. The instant he had it, she squeezed down on it with so much force that it felt as though he had his hand in a vice.

"Roll… Hang on for just a little longer…" He wasn't sure if she had heard him or not, or whether or not any of her senses were working because of the pain for that matter. He mentally cursed himself for not realizing the M-Cannon in time. If he had noticed sooner she could've gotten away with a glancing blow, or dodged it all together for that matter… Roll was quite swift… so much that he himself had a hard time keeping up with her sometimes, but with that came lack of defense. If the attack was not point blank she may not have been damaged as badley, but the direct hit from the M-Cannon made her lack solid defense clear, as something like that wouldn't have fazed the slow moving, yet tough as nails Gutsman.

"Mega…" He heard her call his name in a quiet raspy voice.

"Roll!" He put his other hand on the back of hers, now clutching her hand with both of his.

"Mega… if I… don't make it…"

"Speak no more! You **will** make it!" He knelt down, still clutching her hand. "I will **NOT** let you be deleted!"

"Just in case…" She moved her arm slightly as if trying to bring him closer to him, the breaking data nearly halfway across her torso. She was mere seconds away from coming apart completely. "I…"

"Megaman!!" An official dashed towards him from the link, a packet of data in his hands. "Catch!" As Megaman released Roll and leapt towards the data the official tossed to him, Lan was up as well, jamming his Pet cord into a plug-in slot on Maylu's PC. Megaman caught the data, and no sooner did he touch it did he de-materialize and compress it into downloadable data. Lan threw a blank subchip into the bottom slot on his pet and downloaded it. The instant the download read, "Complete", he slammed the eject button for the subchip slot, popping it out into his hand while reaching for Maylu's Pet. Roll's condition on the Pet screen read, "Critical, Deletion imminent." Lan ignored it and shoved the chip into the slot underneath the screen. Roll was engulfed in a bright light. All the navis turned and watched in hopes of success.

…

…

…

"DAMMIT!" Protoman twitched at the anger obvious in his operator's voice. "How does this son of a bitch always get away?!"

"Sir Chaud… I apologize for failing again…" Chaud sighed and shook his head.

"No, it isn't you Protoman… I can tell you are trying, in fact the way you are trying should be able to catch him easily, but he always manages to slip away…" Chaud leaned back in his swivel chair, scratching his head in frustration.

"I feel a little uneasy about ignoring Roll…" Chaud sensed the uncertainty in his navi's tone. He was quick to reassure.

"I don't think that will be a problem Protoman…" He stretched out his arms.

"Why not?" The red swordsman asked with interest. Chaud focused on the screen.

"Megaman and Lan are the kind who will never let a friend fall. So I'm sure she is alright…" Protoman slightly nodded in agreement.

"I hope so… for a moment I felt as though I should have abandoned my duties to assist." Chaud chuckled.

"Megaman has rubbed off on you a little hasn't he?"

"And has not Lan with you?" Protoman was quick with a comeback. Chaud shrugged.

"Can't argue with that… At least I think we will have a better chance of catching that scoundrel now." Protoman threw on a confused look beneath his visor.

"What makes you say that sir?" Chaud smirked.

"You know them… now that someone they care about has been involved, they won't waste time in dealing with the problem…"

…

…

…

The light had dimmed until it had completely faded. Megaman and the other Navis looked on towards the bed where Roll lay. The fact that she was still there, meant success. Silent joy spread through the small crowd as she opened her eyes and sat up in the bed rather quickly. Her head snapped to Megaman, who was already on his feet and running towards her. She jumped out of the bed and ran towards him. "Mega!!"

"Roll!!" The two nearly crashed together, hugging each other tightly. The sight brought cheers from the small audience of helpers. "Oh god… Roll… you gave us all a scare…"

"Megaaaa…" She held out his name as she held tightly to him. "If not for you I'd have been deleted… oh thank you!!" She dug her head into his chest, shaking lightly as if still scared by the thought of dying.

"Hey! I helped too you know!" A voice from a screen above them fumed. Megaman looked up to see Lan with a jokingly annoyed look on his face. Maylu was hugging him as well. Saying "thank you" over and over again.

"Hey guys…" Iceman referred to the rest of the navis. "Let's leave them be… our work is done…" They all nodded in agreement.

"Hey wait!" Maylu called to them before they left. Iceman, Guile, and the rest all stopped and turned to Maylu. "Thank you all so… **SO**… much! I can't thank you all enough…"

"No need to thanks us…" the custom girl navi said as she waved a hand in front of her.

"We're fellow citizens of ACDC… helping each other out is how we operate around here…" Guile reiterated as he suddenly noticed he was still holding the chip data. He went back towards Megaman, but not so close as to interrupt the two friends and set it down on the floor.

"Nevertheless… you saved Roll… I don't think I could live without her… Thank you…" She repeated despite. The Navis all accepted her thanks politely and began leaving one by one.

"I'll see you at Yai's tonight!" Iceman yelled back as he was the last to exit.

Megaman decided he and Lan should probably get back so they would be ready for Yai's, but Roll clung to him tightly. "Roll…"

"Please… just another minute…" Megaman stared blankly at her momentarily before complying and putting his arms back around her shivering form. "I was just so scared to die… I… thought I'd never see you or everyone else again… just… I'm sorry… just stay here for a sec…"

"It's okay Roll, I'm not moving… I was so worried that you'd be deleted… I'm sorry I didn't recognize the M-Cannon sooner…" She didn't respond, but he didn't mind, the shock of almost dying must've terrified her beyond all measure… all the good things… all the things she was attached to… everything flashing before her eyes and fading away… He knew that he had always been a source of safety and security for her… if not that a person who she could always hug when she wanted… or was it that…? That last thought was lingering. As if he was unsatisfied with it. _Is that all I am to her? A hugging post? No… that can't be it… there has to be more to it… but why now? I never put much thought to it… I just saw it as her way of saying hello… but now that I think about it… she only does it to me… but everything else aside… this does… feel nice…_

Outside the PC, Maylu had finally calmed down. Lan was a bit tuckered out by the bombardment of "thank you's" and squeezing hugs he had just received. Maylu sighed heavily in relief and Lan was about to call out to Megaman, but he was cut off by Maylu, who grabbed him by the sleeve, tugging him towards the screen.

"What?"

"SHH!" She shushed him as she pointed at the computer monitor. He stared for a moment at Megaman and Roll hugging, then looked at Maylu who was nearly beaming. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's the big deal?" He whispered. "This isn't the first time Roll's hugged him you know…" Maylu kept her eyes on the screen as she responded.

"Look though! He's hugging her back! Looks like this could be the start of something hmm?" She did her best to mask the fact that she was well aware of Roll's infatuation with Megaman, and she may have been called out on it, if Lan wasn't so frustratingly oblivious at times.

"Start of what?" Maylu smacked her forehead.

"You are so clueless…"

"Hey!" Lan yelled, slightly angered by the comment on his intelligence. Maylu giggle at his reaction, still amused by him.

_He saves the world… battles seemingly unbeatable battles… Rescues me and our friends countless times... even goes out on a limb to save Roll… but when it comes to understanding human emotions he can be as thick as a dictionary… but… I think deep down he understands… otherwise he wouldn't always be there for me…_

"Lan." Megaman called from the speakers. Lan turned to his navi. Who was still holding onto Roll. She held onto him like a child trying to shrink away from her fears, the jitters still present in her body.

"Is she doing okay?" He fixed his eyes on Roll, who gave no response as she was referenced to.

"Yeah, she just needs a minute… she's still in a bit of shock…"

"So what's up?" Lan asked as Megaman glanced once at Roll before answering.

"I think we know what needs to be done…" Lan heard him loud and clear. There was no explanation needed.

"We'll discuss what to do tomorrow after Yai's. It's… two thirty? Plenty of time… I'll wait 'till you're ready." He placed the Pet down on Maylu's desk and neck from side to side. "Man… that was a close call…"

"You're going to go after the Shadow Syndicate… aren't you…" Lan froze, turning around slowly to see Maylu hunched lightly to the right with her hands crossed over her chest.

"Uh… no?" He was hoping she wouldn't get involved, but as Lan learned once again, Maylu is hard to keep down.

"Lan, you've got to be one of the worst liars I know…" She took a few steps towards him. He looked away from her and did his trademark nervous reaction of rubbing the back of his head.

"Well being a **good** liar is a trait I'd rather not have…" Maylu's expression grew slightly angered and annoyed.

"**Don't** change the subject **Lan**…" He flinched as she emphasized his name. He let his arm drop from beside his head and sighed in defeat.

"Yes… After the get together at Yai's I plan on helping out Chaud catch this navi…"

"And…?" She glared at him until he gave in again and continued.

"And bring down the Shadow Syndicate…" _No matter how many times I try to keep her out of things she always catches me by the ear…_

"Fine… I'll help you."

"N…" He had refused to let her get herself involved in the past, she had thrown it back at him every time, but this time he didn't even finish the word "no".

"Now that I know you've almost died during every major incident, how could I **not** help you?" Lan had no chance in this argument, if he retorted now, he would be a hypocrite. She reached out and grabbed his left hand, which was still bandaged from the night before. "Scars may fade over time… but you only have one life! If I didn't push to help you in every way I could it would be no different than bold facedly telling you to go off to possibly die… Besides… Roll was almost killed…" Her tone shifted from annoyed to almost vengeful. "I want to help bring down the one responsible…" Lan shook his head.

"That's one reason why… I'd rather you not get involved… You saw what happened. Roll took the M-Cannon blast head on… If that were to happen again, I don't know if we'd be able to save her." Almost as if the seriousness in his voice had no effect on her, she was already defending her argument.

"Roll got hit because she was surprised, somewhat careless, and I wasn't operating her. Not only that but she was hit a point blank… how many times does that ever actually happen? If she's in full operation, the likeliness of ber being hit like that again is next to none… and any damage she may receive won't be anything a recovery battle chip can't fix…" She had a point, as much as Lan didn't want to admit it. Roll was quick on her feet, especially when being operated. It was also true that the proximity of the cannon to her when it was fired was the true cause of her previous state. Lan knew he had nothing else to throw in her direction, so he sighed and gave in once more.

"Fine… you can help… but please, PLEASE, be careful… for your, our, and especially her sake…" Maylu grinned contently. She was an expert at winning arguments with Lan. It was his own fault for starting arguments with her that she could easily win with logical reasoning.

…

"Do you feel better?" Megaman quietly asked Roll as her grip on him lightened.

"I'm fine… sorry… I really needed that…" Before she could let go of him he tightened his hug on her, a gesture quite uncommon seeing as how it was usually the opposite. "M...Mega…?" She stammered, with her eyes slightly widened.

"Don't ever worry me like that ever again…" She listened, a hint of regret in his voice. "I'd have never been able to forgive myself if I lost you…" She blushed lightly at his quiet words of relief.

_He… he really cares… he cares a lot… about me…_ Her thoughts encircled her mind as he slowly released her.

"Lan and I will most likely be going after the Shadow Syndicate now… I don't know when or where we're gonna start… but they've messed with the wrong people, so we are going to answer." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Now let's try to loosen up a bit… things may have gotten a bit serious, but we are still going to Yai's house tonight. I don't think the others would like it if we showed up all shaken like this." Roll nodded silently in agreement. "Alright I need to… huh?" He felt something on his back, like something was crawling up to his shoulders. Mouse suddenly appeared atop his head and plopped down; making it look like Megaman was wearing a small hard hat. Roll couldn't help but think how cute it looked. The solemn air around her seemed to disappear, replaced by a smile on her face.

"Hee hee!" She giggled at the goofy little virus' actions. "I guess he likes you now!" Her cheery expression had returned as if a little antic from Mouse was all she needed to lighten up.

"There, that's better…" Megaman commented out loud as she reverted back to her normal state. "Come here you…" He reached up to Mouse, but as his hand got closer, Mouse edged away.

"Meep!" He beeped as he kept dodging Megaman's hand, turning into a wild goose chase around his helmet. Eventually he landed right on top of Megaman's face.

"Ah!! … Quick little devil!" He exclaimed, slightly muffled and distorted by his lack of vision and unblocked speech. Megaman threw booth hands up, determined to catch him, but Mouse hopped off his head and onto the ground, just as Megaman smacked himself in the face. "Gah!" Roll burst out laughing, hugging her sides as she could barely stop herself from falling over with laughter.

"Ha ha! You two… heh… make quite a… ha… comedy act…" She managed to say in between laughs. Megaman ceased rubbing his face and stared at his feet, where Mouse stared up at him with an expression that suggested he was smiling mischievously.

"You win this time… but I'll get you!" He playfully threatened the met.

"Meep!" Responded Mouse as he turned and trotted over to Roll. Megaman watched as she picked up the little Met, letting it run up her arm to nuzzle her cheek. She looked so happy, even after she had nearly died; her cheerful nature had taken no time to re-emerge. He liked her personality, and even though it was hard for him to admit, he liked being around her… enjoyed it even. She always made things seem brighter. _Not to mention she's smart, caring, friendly, has beautiful blonde ha..._ He stopped. _Not again… why does that always come to mind…?_ He looked around the PC, trying to find something he could focus on to get his mind off of the confusing thoughts. He fixed his eyes on the view screen to see Lan backed into the wall by an angered Maylu who was practically in his face.

"Uh oh…" He caught Roll's attention. She guided Mouse into her hand and walked up to him, staring at the screen as well.

"Looks like Lan said something he shouldn't have… oh, here…" Roll pulled up the monitor controls and un-muted the audio feed.

"… wouldn't turn down Dex if he wanted to help you so why me? Tory, Chaud, Sean, you'd ask any of them, any time! Like the second time you fought the WWW… you took Dex and Chaud along… and even that guy, Tora! You only met him during the N1 before hand, never seen him since, and you take him leaving me and Yai behind! Is it because I'm a girl?!" Megaman sighed as he heard Maylu snapping at him.

"Maylu I only said I'd rather you not get involved…"

"Yeah, after I just got done telling you how your argument was pointless! Were you even listening to me!?" Lan suddenly took a step that none of them expected he almost never raised his voice, and if to anyone it would definitely not be to Maylu.

"Will you quit it!!?? I'm just worried about you or Roll getting hurt! How do you think I would feel if you two were harmed when I could have prevented it?! Why can't you see that I just want to protect you!?" Megaman and Roll stared wide eyed at the screen. Neither had expected Lan to lose control of himself like that. Maylu however just stood silent for a moment, determination still present in her expression. Her answer came quietly and she emphasized every word to make sure she was loud and clear to him.

"Why can't **you** see… that you are not the only one who would take risks to protect others?" She paused. His face had changed slightly. "Why can't you understand… that everyone has things they would make sacrifices for?" She seemed to be getting through to him. His expression was evident enough that he was putting thought to it. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Most of all… Why can't you realize…… That I am just as willing to put my life on the line for you as you are willing to do so for me…?" That drove the nail home. No matter which way Lan looked at it, there was no way he could counter this argument… it was true, he had gone out on a limb many times for her. Saved her many times, helped her many times, and not just her, but many people. Being the one who always took the world onto his shoulder, he never stopped to think if others would do the same. Maylu, however, was always good at making him realize things that flew over his head. He looked towards her, silently, but she was looking away. Her expression was written all over with a distraught look accompanied by a slight shade of red as she looked away from him.

_She's totally right… I never took into consideration what everyone wished to look after… it must have been hard for her to admit… she looks a bit embarrassed… is she… blushing…?_ Across from him Maylu was exactly how she looked.

_I can't believe I said that… I just flat out told him that I would die for him… I hope he doesn't take it the wrong way. _She glanced at him for an instant, diverting her eyes again when they fell upon his. _But… which way __**is**__ the wrong way…? Lately I don't even know what I want from him… _The silence between the two seemed to drag out with no end in sight. Megaman saw this as an opportunity to speak up.

"I don't think I can take any more of this… it's past three anyway, we should get out of here… LAN!" The two operators nearly jumped five feet in the air.

"Y-yeah?" Lan stammered as he came out of the brief shock.

"It's quarter after three, we should go get ready for Yai's."

"Ah yeah… alright, transfer to the Pet then…" Megaman nodded to his operator and turned to face Roll.

"I'll see you in an hour…" Roll smiled and nodded in return.

"See ya soon Mega! And… thanks again…" He smiled in response as he disappeared towards his Pet. As soon as he was gone, Roll muted the speakers and squealed in delight. She hugged Mouse, squeezing him quite hard.

"Merp!!" Mouse squeaked, slightly muffled against her chest.

"Before this I had my doubts…" She held mouse out in front of her. "But I think he really does like me!!" Mouse stared blankly, looking slightly relieved to be out of her crushing hug.

…

Outside the monitor, Lan fastened his Pet to his belt and looked towards Maylu before he left.

"It seems there's no convincing you otherwise… fine, you can help me with the Shadow Syndicate… but please watch yourself okay?" Maylu smiled slightly at the fact that she had finally gotten him to agree.

"Same to you…" He rolled his eyes humorously at her statement.

"No problem… I'll see you in a few… Oh and don't tell Yai. I plan on asking Dex and Tory, but…" He stopped there as Maylu gave him a look that had, "You're kidding right?" written all over it. "You know what, never mind… ill mention it tomorrow before we leave and if she wants to help then she can." Maylu smiled, signaling that he had met her terms. He sighed and exited, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Soooo…' A voice chimed from her speakers. "What was THAT all about?" Roll questioned in a bubbly tone.

"You seem pretty upbeat for someone who almost died half an hour ago…"

"But I didn't die… so I have every reason to be happy! But yeah, why were you yelling at him? I saw the end, so I have an idea, but how did it start?" Maylu sat down and rested her elbows on the desk.

"Lan was just being Lan… stubborn and clueless…" Roll giggled. "What's so funny?"

"It sounded more like the two of you were indirectly confessing love to each other…" It took one scowl from Maylu to shut her up.

"You want to play that way? I know the real reason you're happy… Because your knight in azure armor saved you from certain death, then was hugging you for a good, I don't know, twenty minutes?"

"Hey! I really needed that hug!" Roll snapped back, face blushing madly. "But… at the end there, he did give me a big hug…" She clasped her hands together under her chin and began swaying from side to side. "And he started it! That's the first time he's hugged me first!" She hugged herself and smiled brightly at the memory. This display of Roll being in her own little world earned an eyebrow raise from Maylu, which turned into an attempt to hold back laughter as Roll squealed again, this time where her operator could hear her.

"Wow with the way you're acting now I'm surprised you didn't use him saving you as an excuse to kiss him…" Roll perked up at the thought, making her face nearly disappear in the redness.

"That would've been a bit much, don't you think?" Roll looked like her head was going to explode.

"And a bit cliché, so I'm glad you didn't… Okay, enough… we need to get our stuff together for Yai's, make sure the chip folder is organized, I'm sure there are going to be quite a few netbattles…" Maylu turned around in her chair as Roll pulled open her personal battle chip list. She rose from her seat and grabbed her binder of chips. Eyeing her vest, she picked it up with the intention of putting it on, but stopped. She looked at herself in the body length mirror on her closet door. Something didn't seem right, at least to her. _Hmm… I know this is my old outfit… but this shirt is a little too loose…_ She had some unexplained urge to wear something a little more showy. She disappeared into her closet and re-emerged with a light blue long sleeve shirt slung over her forearm, her clothes to wear to bed dangling from her other arm. She slipped off the green shirt and replaced it with the light blue one. She looked herself over again. The shirt was much more form fitting than the other, hugging tighter to her curves, and cut lower at the chest to be a little bit revealing. She smiled contently and went back to packing. Roll had caught glimpse of Maylu's change in wardrobe and let out an exasperated sigh.

_If she "doesn't" like him… then why is she making it so obvious that she's trying to get his attention? If I ask she'll just yell at me or make up some excuse about not wearing it enough… At least __**I'M**__ honest with my feelings…_

…

…

…

Lan slung his back pack over his shoulder and grabbed his Pet from atop his desk.

"Ready to go Megaman?" He asked as he zipped up the black vest that he replaced his orange one with, but upon peering at the screen he noticed Megaman was staring off into space. "Yo, dude, anyone home?"

"Huh? Sorry… are we going?" He asked in a mellow tone.

"You're lookin' a little blue… well… mentally…" He joked. Megaman rolled his eyes.

"A horrible, HORRIBLE pun Lan…"

"Okay, seriously are you feeling okay?" Megaman sighed.'

"Still feeling a bit spent… I mean, Roll was almost deleted… Roll almost **died.** I never felt more scared in my life… it was mortifying…"

"But she's alive thanks to you… and me too of course, but your plan was what allowed her to live…"

"That's not it… When I held her there… after she was healed… I… I didn't want to let go… ever… I was so close to losing something that was very important to me… I don't know how to explain it…"

"Well…" Lan cut in. "When someone you care about is in danger, some people will do anything to protect it… Heck it's what I always do…"

"That's just it! I've protected her in the past… saved her in the past… I just don't know! This time she almost died for real! It was a bit of a delayed reaction, but when it hit me it was just so intense…"

"Maybe you like her…"

"Well of course I do, if I didn't why would we be friends." Explained Megaman, who had just showcased an amount of denseness that even Lan would have a hard time emulating.

"No man, I mean, maybe you **like** her…" Megaman just stared at him, confused.

"I heard you the first time you… oh…" Megaman's reaction was a bit different than Lan had expected. No argument or retort. No fussing or denying. It almost caught Lan completely off guard.

"So…"

"I think I do like her… you know… as more than a friend…"

"When did it start?" Lan was eager to help his brother with this.

"I think it came on gradually, but it was never enough to spark a major interest… but I think that all changed the first time I saw her hair…" Lan smiled briefly.

"She took off her helmet? What were you two doing?" He asked a bit sarcastically.

"Lan… it was when I woke her up for Maylu at school…" Megaman answered with a slightly ticked off expression with his eyebrows nearly flat across his eyes.

"I'm just kidding man…" Lan chuckled. "But I get where you're going… I think the most attractive thing about a girl is the hair…"

"It made her look so… beautiful… I had never looked at her that way in the past… now every time I see her, she just seems so… attractive… now other things have changed as well…" Lan's expression returned to serious as he listened to the explanation.

"Want to talk about it Hub?" Lan only ever used Megaman's real name when he was dead serious about something. But Hub waved him off.

"Not right now… I'm just gonna be casual around her as always until I figure things out, or she moves first… right now we should get going it's almost four."

"Right… good idea…" Lan attached the Pet to his hip and made final preparations to leave. "Next stop… A night of netballtes and good food at Yai's!" He threw his fist forward as he closed the door behind him.

---To Be Continued---

* * *

If there was ever a reason to act, Lan and Megaman have just found one. With Roll almost killed in and incident with the Shadow Syndicate. They are deteminded to bring it down. But now Maylu and Roll want in the action, which will surely draw the others in as well. What will happen? And now the night at Yai's is about to start! Expect a few netbattles in the next chapter. It will be one of the few places i have battles in this fic. But will anything, "strange" or "Unexpected" happen? It may not be a sleepover party... but since everyone is spending the night, they aren't just gonna Netbattl the whole time. (Don't worry, there won't be truth or dare... Too many fics have done that, i'd feel as though i'd be repeating other people's ideas.) All this and more in the next chapter!!!

The next chapter should be along soon enough, as always i need to write a chapter for my Golden Sun story first, so please bear with me.

As always i deeply thank everyone who reads and/or reviews my work, it means a lot to me. You guys ROCK!

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!


	4. Accepting the Facts

HOO WOW! Just when i though i'd written the longest chapter i could ever write... i go ahead and write another one 100 words longer XD. dunno how it keeps happening, i guess my plan for the story is demanding larger chapters. With this chapter the first story arc is almost complete. Just like my other megaman fic, this story is going to have three parts.

Anyway, here is the fourth installment of Love Kows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_Thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me Talking)

(You know i never gave credit to Sailorjj07 for fiving me the idea on this text explaination i do before every chapter... Thanks!)

Enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

Written by: Flashgunner

Ch. 4: Accepting the Facts

Some say it is wise to let a sleeping giant lay… but when the sleeping giant is late…

"Guts… *snort*… ugh…" Gutsman rolled onto his back and opened his eyes slowly. "Oy…" he groaned as he propped himself up on his massive fists. He saw the silver card lying next to him. _Huh…? Oh right…Glide…_ He picked up the card while yawning loudly and expanded the data. _Hm…? Be at Yai's by…_ His head snapped to the PC clock, which read 3:55 pm. "GUTS!" His hands shot to his head and he started jumping up and down. "DEX! DEX!"

"Mmm… fifths please…" The large teenager was still face down on the keyboard.

"Grrrr!!! DEX!!!!! WAKE UP!!!!" Gutsman pounded the floor of the PC, causing the whole computer to shake. That did it.

"Huh…? Gutsman?" He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. "What's with all the yelling?" Gutsman kept jumping up and down while continuously pointing to the confirmation.

"Dex! Yai's house! Get together starts in five minutes! GUTS!" Dex pushed back from his desk, but a wheel on his chair got caught by a stray article of clothing on the floor, causing him to double over as he yelled his response.

"WHAAAAT?!?!" He rolled over and stood up quickly, jamming his face towards the PC screen. "I haven't even packed yet!!"

"If we'd slept instead of trying full synchro…"

"No time for use to make up excuses!!!" Dex interrupted him as he sprinted to and fro, collecting his gear. "Gutsman run a check on the folder! I need a shirt! Where are my shirts?!"

"In the closet… guts…" Gutsman pointed out in an obvious tone of voice as he pulled up the chip folder and marked off each chip.

"Oh yeah! That's where I keep them! I forget things when I'm frantic… where are we going again?" Gutsman crashed through the hologram window for the chip folder, falling face first to the ground.

…

…

…

"Miss Yai, there is someone at the door…" The younger blond, wearing her hair down with her new yellow "casual" dress, ran the brush through her hair one more time before setting it down and releasing the Pet from her waist holster.

"Thank you Glide… Go make sure my social room is set up…"

"Right away." Glide accepted his orders with a bow and disappeared into the mansion's systems. Yai made her way through the large halls of her mansion and stopped in front of the massive double-door entrance.

"Open!" She commanded, and the door obeyed. A boy appeared in the doorway. He was a little taller than Yai; looked to be a year older as well. He wore a pair of loose jeans and a light blue hooded sweat shirt. "Tory!"

"Hey Yai! Good to see you again! Sorry if I'm late…" She stepped aside and motioned him in.

"No actually you're the first one!" He raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? But it's at least 4:15…" He pulled the Pet from his belt and looked at the time.

"Ah ha!" Iceman jumped and took his hands away from the clock that now read 3:57.

"Um…um…" The little navi stammered.

"You changed the clock thinking I might be late? Come on Iceman, who do you think I am… Lan?" Yai giggled at how often people referred to Lan's lack of punctuality.

"But you're always late to work… I thought I'd try and help out…" Iceman explained with his head down, sparking Yai's interest.

"Work? Did you quit school?" She questioned with a worried look. He laughed and shook his head.

"No, no… I got a part time job at the Water Works… I work for my dad after school, but I always misjudge the time it takes to get there from Electopia High…" he had one eye half shut as he spoke as if uncomfortable with this bit of info.

"Oh that reminds me… how is Electopia High?" She gestured for him to come in and sit down.

"For one it's huge…" He sat down on the couch and she plopped down in the easy chair opposite to him.

"Well duh… It's the largest school in Electopia! Hence the name… it's second only to Royal Cross in Netopia!" She almost chanted out loud, she was so proud of her "extensive" knowledge.

"Yeah… oh! Who else is coming?" Tory asked, breaking Yai from her trance of excellence.

"Oh well, the usuals, meaning Dex, Lan, and Maylu… Sean was going to come, but he was called to Scilab early afternoon for something important…"

"Important?" Yai shrugged.

"He didn't say…" Then she crossed her arms, and began to pout. "Hmph! Chaud just flat out refused…" Tory couldn't help but chuckle.

"Chaud will be Chaud…" Just then there was a banging at the door. Yai blinked a few times…

"The nerve! Not using a perfectly operating doorbell… Since Lan will definitely be here last, that's probably Dex…" She trotted to the door and commanded it to open. Dex fell through the door way onto his hands and knees, panting.

"GUTSMAN! WHAT TIME IS IT!?"

"GUTS! GUTS!! 4:02!!"

"DAMN! WE'RE LATE!" Before anything else could happen, Yai whacked him on the head with the bottom of her fist. "YEEOW!!"

"You have no class Dex! How dare you burst in here and not greet me!"

"Jeez… sorry…" She laughed at his quick obedience.

"Oh get real Dex, you know I'm joking…" He stared blankly at her for a second as she continued laughing and stood up, spotting Tory.

"Hey Tory! Glad I at least beat Lan here!" Tory waved his hand once, smiling.

"You'd have had to take a few walks around the mansion before he would get here!"

"You said it!" Dex scanned the room. "Huh? Where's Maylu?" Yai suddenly realized it too.

"Come to think of it… Dex you beat Maylu here! Glide! What time is it again?" The yellow navi appeared on a view screen beside them.

"The current time is 4:04." He bowed and disappeared again.

"Wow… Maylu is late…" Yai stared forward trying to come up with possible reasons as to why. "Maylu is never late… in fact she's usually early! … unless…"

…

…

…

"LAN!!! HURRY UP!!" Maylu stood in the doorway to Lan's house, tapping her foot impatiently. Lan finally burst out of the door, nearly hitting her in the process. She played it off and glared at him. "Lan it's five past four… we're late and we haven't even left yet!"

"Sorry… there was an emergency…" Her eyes softened a bit.

"Emergency…?"

"Yeah! The bathroom was out of toilet paper!" Maylu scrunched her eyes shut and groaned.

"Lan!!! TMI!!" She brought a hand up to rub her forehead to rid herself of the headache she was causing him.

"Well, you asked so I answered, come on…" Before he started he noticed her different clothes. _She changed her clothes? Girls can never decide what to wear… although I must say… her shirt shows a bit… more than I'm used to…_ He concealed his current thoughts by not staring, but walking as they ran through his head.

"Hey!" She ran up to catch him before he got any farther away. "You make me wait then just start walking… you are too much…" She looked him up and down. It was extremely odd to see Lan wearing something besides his orange vest. The thing was practically glued to him. "You look nice in that." She completely did not mean to say it out loud, but she already had and she had to make an escape route quick.

"H…huh…?" Lan looked at his black vest. "Oh this? I got this the other say, thought I could use a change… But wait, you like it…?" Maylu turned away slightly to conceal a light blush and quickly responded.

"It's just nice to see you finally wear something new… I swear you wear that orange vest every day!" She squinted as if trying to forcefully push the heat out of her face. It was probably better that she wasn't looking at him because he had just caught himself looking at her chest.

_Ah… oh man I'm lucky she didn't catch me… why does she have to wear something like that? It's practically asking me to stare, and if she catches me __**I'LL**__ be the pervert…_ _Say something quick!_ "Well… that old vest I wore back in elementary belonged to my father… so I kinda got attached to orange vests…"

"Oh…?" _He never told me that…_ "Sorry for making fun of it then…" He smiled and waved a hand.

"Nah don't worry, it's my fault for never telling anyone…" He trailed off. _Uh oh… it's happening again!_ His eyes were about to move to her "interesting" outfit again, but she spoke up, breaking his attention before he could stare again.

"You know, I wonder if Sean and Chaud were able to make it." _Was he looking this way?_ She pondered beneath her question as she could've sworn she saw his head snap back forward as she turned.

"Sean I don't know, but Chaud and Protoman were in my PC when Glide came to give Megaman the confirmation…" _I really hope she didn't see me turning…_ _Why am I having trouble looking at her…?_

"Why were they there?" They both had their eyes glued forward now, both a little confused as to the odd behavior of the other.

"Chaud was indirectly asking for help with the Shadow Syndicate." Maylu smirked.

"Indirectly? Let me guess. He masked it under a condescending explanation as to how he might need a little support but he can handle things himself?"

"We have a winner!" Lan joked, bringing out laughter from both of them.

"He needs to get a girlfriend… or someone that can loosen him up!" Maylu joked. Lan shrugged.

"He already has an entourage fan club of girls… Too bad he only values his job and netbattling."

"Or maybe he just wants to find the right type?" Maylu suggested while crossing one arm beneath her chest, resting the opposite elbow on her crossed hand and placing her cheek in her palm. "I personally can't stand girls like that… so fake with fairy tale visions of life…"

"Girls are such a hassle… most of the time I can't understand anything about them…" Maylu lightly glared at him ready to verbally punish him for his denseness, but… "Girls like that I mean… I have my own share of girls who always try to follow me around, but they all want the same thing. The famous netbattler… sometimes I swear that's all I'm known as…" Maylu's expression changed to one of sudden unexplained interest. "My ideal girl is one who will not see me as the runner up of the N1, the champion of the world tournaments, the savior of the world, or anything like that… a girl who would just see me as Lan Hirkari would be great…" Maylu smiled and sighed.

_Maybe he actually has matured a bit… _

"But I doubt that will ever happen… I can't even go to Higsby's anymore without being mobbed… at least they finally let up at school… hell, the whole idea makes me sound just like one of those squealing girls with an out of reach fantasy…" Maylu suddenly felt a wave of sympathy that hit her practically out of nowhere. She had the urge to say something.

"That's… not…"

"Here we are!" Lan cut in. She was so enthralled by his speech that she didn't even realize they were in Yai's yard and at her front door. "Megaman what time is it?" He hoisted his Pet to eye level.

"Hold on…" Megaman was reading several recent news articles and began closing them down. He suddenly dropped one of the windows accidentally. "Ah shoot…" He bent down to pick it up and right as he stood back up…

"It's 4:15." Roll called from Maylu's hip. She un-holstered her Pet and brought it up, facing it towards Lan and Megaman. The screen reading 4:15 behind Roll.

"Thanks Roll!" Lan chimed in as he rang the doorbell. Megaman gave Roll a look of obviously fake annoyance and she playfully stuck her tongue out at him. A moment later the door opened.

"Ah HA! I knew it!" Yai startled them both. "The only decent explanation for Maylu ever being late is that she waited for Lan."

"Okay, okay… I hear this everyday Yai, just let us in…" Lan sulked as Yai stepped aside. They all greeted each other as the friends always had, along with questioning Tory on a few things in Electown. Yai informed the rest on the absence of Sean and Chaud before she led them to their "personal hang-out" room. No sooner did they enter and dropped their bags on the floor, did Dex rush towards the Net-battle table.

"Alright which one of you chumps wants to lose first?" He challenged while holding his Pet up in the air. "You look like you're itchin' for a fight Lan!" Despite Dex's current lack of sleep he was surprisingly super charged once the opportunity for a net-battle came around. Tory spoke up before Lan could agree.

"I bet you two fight every single day… I'm sure a change of pace won't hurt!" He unhooked his Pet and stepped forward. Yai smirked.

"Yeah, we get to see Gutsman lose to Megaman everyday…" Yai kept smirking, waiting for the typical response from Dex, but she heard nothing. She looked back towards the table and Dex was staring down Tory across the table. _Is he… actually concentrating?_ Yai was shocked. Dex always defended Gutsman in an instant, but today he looked different. Lan noticed too.

_Hmm… he's been trying to get full synchro no doubt… _Lan crossed his arms and grinned. _This level of concentration… it's obvious… he's trying to learn it on his own… and he's figured one thing out… total and complete concentration are required… this will improve his regular battle skills as well…_ He spotted Maylu walking past him and resting her arms on the table to watch. He didn't take his eyes off of her the whole way. Remembering a battle was about to begin, he moved forward to see it as well, but hesitated in moving right next to Maylu. _Uh… what am I…_ He shook his head and casually made his way to the opposite side. _That was odd…_

"Go Iceman!" Everyone focused on the projected image. To everyone's surprise, the miniature warrior charged head long towards Gutsman.

"Little guy's got courage! Smash him flat Gutsman!" Gutsman reared a massive fist over his head and waited till Iceman was in range. Right before he could swing, Iceman blew a gust of icy wind onto the floor below Gutsman. The juggernaut took no notice as he plunged his fist towards the ground. Iceman crouched down and slid on the sheet of ice right under Gutsman's legs. The massive yellow fist hit the ground, but not a navi. During the large navi's confusion, Iceman came to a halt and rammed Gutsman in the back. Causing him to slide forward on the solidified ground and slip, falling face first to the floor.

"Nice move Tory!" Lan commented.

"Just because Iceman isn't strong doesn't mean he can't be clever!" Tory taunted Dex.

"Oh yeah?!" Dex retorted with no real plan.

"Yeah!" Tory fought back while pointing at the image. By the Time Gutsman had gotten to his feet, the entire arena was covered with ice.

"Icestage…" Dex mumbled.

"Iceman can move freely on ice… your time is limited Dex!" Dex smirked.

"I may lose to Lan a lot… but that doesn't mean I'm weak!" He dug a battlechip out of his pocket marked "Geddon 1" and inserted it into his Pet. "Now Gutsman!"

"Hrrrrrr!!!!" Gutsman growled as his hands came together and a large metal cylinder appeared in their stead. He slammed it to the ground and a giant earthquake rocked the entire battle stage. Cracks burst from the spot of impact, shattering the ice stage completely. However, now the ground was weak and crumbling easily.

"You still have a disadvantage here…" Maylu pointed out to Dex. "Iceman is very light… I doubt the floor will crumble under his weight… Gutsman on the other hand…"

"Of course… you think I would break the stage, knowing this, and not have a plan?" He tugged another chip from his pocket. "Air Shoes".

_Well played Dex… Well played…_ Lan thought as he watched Gutsman gain small jet boosters on his feet. Tory's determined air didn't falter.

"This is getting interesting! Iceman!" Tory flipped his hands around to reveal a "Silver Fist" battle chip.

"Whoa! That's a powerful chip! Where did you get that?" Maylu questioned.

"Won it at Higsby's with a lottery number…" Tory explained as he pushed the chip into the slot. Iceman's forearm shined brightly before replacing itself with a large silver gauntlet. Iceman charged towards Gutsman.

"We'll take you head on!" Dex held up an original battle chip labeled, "Super Guts Punch." He threw it into the chip slot and Gutsman's fist turned a light shade of red. Yai looked back and forth as the Navi's approached each other.

"Isn't the Super Guts Punch weaker than Silver Fist?" She turned to Lan and Maylu.

"Yeah its attack power is about half that of Silver Fist…" Lan explained. "But…"

"But what?" Maylu asked, looking up from the screen briefly. Lan nodded towards the projection.

"Watch." They turned back to the battle just in time to see Iceman swinging the gauntlet, Gutsman intercepting the punch with his own. A very lout metallic clang rang from the speakers and the two stopped dead, their knuckles pressed together. They struggled to push against each other, both eager to overpower their opponent. Then suddenly, a cracking noise was heard and small silver chips started falling between them.

"No way!" Iceman shouted as his silver fist began falling apart right before his eyes. As the gauntlet weakened, Gutsman gained the upper hand. When the fist broke, Iceman found the fist he had been fighting against connecting to his body, sending him flying back.

"Silverfist may be twice as powerful, but Gutsman's own physical strength made up for it. Being a power type navi, it's easy to store large amounts of energy in short bursts." Lan explained. "He may not be fast, but when it comes to pure power, Gutsman always delivers."

"Iceman!" Shouted Tory as he began ruffling through his chips.

"Now Gutsman!" Dex, unlike Tory, had his chip already in hand. Gutsman's patented Guts Hammer. Gutsman's hands formed into the large hammer once again, only this time, upon hitting the ground, a shockwave fire across the stage, breaking apart the weak floor in its wake. Iceman was still struggling to get up. There was no way he'd dodge in time.

"Found it! Iceman, use this AreaSteal!" But he was a day late and a zenny short. Before the chip data could transfer, the shockwave collided with Iceman, knocking him into the air. He limply fell to the ground. Tory's Pet read, "Substantial damage. Log out recommended." Tory sighed as he unplugged his Pet from the terminal. "Darn…"

"Yes! I won! YEEHAA!!" Dex jumped up and down with his fists in the air. Everyone stared at him awkwardly. Yai leaned towards Tory.

"Don't mind him, he only net battles Lan…" She didn't even have to finish the explanation.

"Oh…"

"Yeah, they really aren't bad net battlers… they just always take on more than they can handle…" Maylu tried to explain, wording it correctly so that he wouldn't mistake it for her possibly calling Iceman weak.

"I probably shouldn't have attacked him head on… I thought for sure my strategy would work…" Dex cut them off their conversation abruptly.

"So who's next huh!? Bring 'em all!"

"Well his confidence sure soared… he's bound to embarrass himself now…" Yai said quietly where he couldn't hear her. "You just fought! Take a break will ya?!"

"But…!" His protest was cut off as Yai disconnected Gutsman's chord. "HEY!"

"Let's have some other people battle!" She scanned the room. _Hmm… I guess I'll battle… who should I have Glide fight…_ Her eyes fell on Lan and Maylu. _Hmm… no… maybe I'll let Dex go again or… wait hold on!_ She focused back on Lan and Maylu, who were both casually attending to their Pets. "Hey! You two!" They both looked up at Yai confused. Yai had a sly smirk on her face.

"Yai…? What's up?" Lan asked obliviously, but Maylu realized she wasn't the only one being focused on.

_No… Yai you can't be serious…_

"I decided it's high time that the two of you have a net battle!" They just stared blankly at her.

"Wha…?"

"Don't try to play it off Hikari!" Yai got in his face. "You two never net battle each other! It's about time you did!" Lan and Maylu turned and looked at each other for a moment and suddenly started laughing. The rest stared at them dumbly, wondering what in the world was so funny.

"Yai… it's not that **WE** don't net battle…" Lan began, but was cut off by Maylu.

"We've tried to, many times actually…" Yai looked back and forth between them.

"Wait… tried?" The two walked towards the battle table and drew the chords from their Pets.

"Lan what are we…? Megaman transferred.

"Maylu where are you sending…?" Roll transferred. They both appeared on the battle stage. After both looking around and realizing where they were, they laid eyes on one another. The outburst was almost instant.

"LAAAAN!!! I can't fight Roll!!!"

"Maylu!! Why do we have to fight Mega??!!" Lan and Maylu both turned to Yai, giving her a "There you have it" look.

"Oh…" Was all Yai could muster.

"Lan… we're not really doing this are we?" Megaman stared up at his operator with an unwilling look.

"I won't force you… but you know it's just a net battle, it doesn't mean you're gonna kill her." Maylu was dealing with her own navi at the same time.

"I can't… I just can't! The mere thought of pointing a weapon at him makes me feel horrible…" Roll was giving Maylu puppy dog eyes.

"Roll just as Lan said, no one is making you two fight… but what bad will it do? Besides…" She leaned forward to whisper. "Knowing Megaman, he'll probably let you win."

"If nothing else…" Roll turned to Lan, who was addressing both navi's. "You don't have to go all out…"

"Yeah give it a go Roll!" Maylu encouraged. The two Navis just stared at each other; both had obvious looks of unease.

"O…Okay…" Roll stammered. Roll took off in a jog towards Megaman. Dex and Tory snickered at how unmotivated the running looked. It was almost like she was moving in slow motion.

"Here Roll!" Maylu entered a chip and Roll's arm became a sword. She almost groaned when it appeared, she didn't want to use it at all. Megaman stood his ground in an awkward battle stance. She lazily swiped at him, way earlier than she should of as the sword came nowhere near him. He bounced backward, calling his Mega buster and took aim.

"Eek!" Roll Squeaked quietly, seeing Megaman's standard weapon aimed at her. Megaman heard her, causing him to twitch. He hoped Lan didn't see him move his aim off center purposely as the two plasma blasts flew right over her head. Roll's sword disappeared as Maylu sent her original "Roll Arrow" chip. The bow and arrow formed on her arm, but she hesitated to fire it. _Okay, okay… aim off a bit… I don't want to… AH!_ She fired it accidentally. The heart tipped arrow flew right at his head. He realized just in time to cross his arms over his face. The arrow exploded and knocked him onto his back. "AH! MEGA!" She ran over to him. He propped himself up and shook his head right as she plopped down on her knees beside him, putting her hands on his shoulder. "Oooohh… are you okay! I wasn't aiming for your head it was an accident!" She frantically apologized.

"Whoa! Whoa! Settle down, I'm alright…" Megaman tried to calm her down.

"Uh… guys?" They both looked at Lan. "You know you **are** Net battling…"

"Oh… right…" The two said in unison as they both rose from the ground and created distance. Megaman heard Lan slide a chip into the Pet, and his hand became a long sword.

_Does he really expect me to hit her with this? _Megaman eyed the sword incredulously.

"Two can play at that game!" Maylu responded by inserting a wide sword chip. Megaman began advancing in a slow run, but Roll did not pay attention to the Areasteal chip that was suddenly transferred to her. "Wha…AAAHH!!" She zoomed forward, and due to her extra steps, she appeared literally right in front of Megaman. Being halfway through a step, she flew right into him, disrupting both their swords, and knocking them both to the ground with a thud.

"Ow…" Megaman rubbed his head as he tried to get up. But an unexplained weight held him down. He opened his eyes to see a large pink object, which only took him a second to register as Roll's helmet. He stiffened as he glanced to the side so see Roll face down on top of him. Roll was still trying to refocus from the collision. When she finally did, she noticed that she was laying on something soft, which definitely was not the floor. She opened her eyes and quickly looked up to see Megaman staring at her, his face changing color at three slightly deeper shades of red per second. It was an accident sure… but it also the cause of a certain amount of body contact between them that neither of had ever imagined would occur.

"Um… Roll?" Was all he managed to say, but as he spoke up Rolls face was instantly red and she slammed her hands on the ground to push herself off of him. The moment she was on her feet she turned around and placed her hands on her cheeks as if trying to cool down her face. Megaman just lay in his spot for a few seconds before standing up as well and turning to Lan. "Lan… I think we should stop… this isn't working out…" Lan listened to his navi and glanced up at Maylu, who was trying to hold back laughter with a hand over her mouth.

"Okay Roll… this isn't going anywhere… you two might as well stop." Roll only managed to nod as she was still bright red. Lan acknowledged Maylu's decision and reached for the chord, but right before he could, an alarm went off. Everyone nearly jumped out of their skin at the sudden blare from the security system. Yai was sprinting to the room's security panel, Pet in hand with chord drawn, before anyone could ask her what the alarm was for. Glide transferred to the security system. Seconds later he appeared on the panel's screen.

"Miss Yai! Someone has penetrated the mansion network! They are spreading small groups of viruses around the house!"

"Can you take care of it?" Glide made a quick bow and formed his cannon buster over his hand. "Nothing I can't handle… the virus groups seem to be fairly weak… I'll take care of them and search for the intruder." With that he disappeared from the screen.

"Ah!" Lan's yell broke Yai from the panel and she looked towards the battle projector.

"Viruses in the battle system!" Maylu exclaimed. Yai was at first not worried, seeing as how if Glide claimed he could handle the viruses, then it should be no problem for Megaman. Even Roll was in there with him, but…

"Lan!! They're everywhere!!!" Lan watched as Megaman and Roll engaged a large group of viruses as more began pouring into the battle terminal. Mets, swordys, fishys, beetanks, cannons, and many more.

"Why are there so many here? What would be the gain?" Roll questioned as she whacked swordy with her Roll Flash. Her state of embarrassment had melted away instantly when survival became the main objective. Megaman went back to back with her as they rotated and he fired two blasts.

"An attack on Gabcom… but focused on the battle table? I don't know who in their right mind would."

"Megaman! Use this!" Lan Yelled as he pulled three spreader chips. "Spreader N, O, P! Take 'em down in one shot!" Megaman's buster shined a bright gold color as the spreader cannon appeared in its place. It kept glowing and grew larger while changing shape, signaling a program advance.

_H-burst… good thinking Lan…_ "Roll! Get behind me!" Roll nodded and stepped back. "To the wall!" They backed all the way up so Megaman would have a full view of the entire swarm. "Roll! Spot me! The recoil on this thing is nasty!" He ordered and she put her hands on his shoulders, bracing herself. Megaman fired, the kickback caused his arms to fly up and Roll almost couldn't stop them from flying backward, but she held strong and kept them stable. The large blast traveled above the viruses and burst into thousands of smaller beams, raining down upon them. The number of viruses decreased insanely fast and there were no more than seven left afterward.

"Wow! Nice one Mega! Roll complimented, her hands still resting on his shoulders. He sighed.

"Only a few left now… huh?!" Almost as quickly as they were destroyed, more viruses began pouring in. "Lan! What's going on!?"

"I don't know! Glide is still trying to find out!" Dex ran up to the table beside him.

"Looks like you could use some assistance!" He jammed the cord into the port, but an electric shock caused him to pull away. "YYYEEEEOOOWW!!!!!" He waved his hand around in the air, causing Tory to pull his hand away from the ports before he too tried to assist "What the hell?!" His Pet screen read, "Transfer failed." As Gutsman reappeared in the Pet.

"Guts! I can't get through! Guts!"

"Lan! What are we going to do!?" Megaman frantically asked as the viruses were approaching. Lan gritted his teeth.

"The H-burst amounted to nothing, so trying another program advance would be pointless… Megaman! Let's drag this out as long as we can for Glide!"

"Full synchro then?"

"You got it! Let's do it!" Dex stepped back and watched carefully as a white aura burst around Lan. Despite the close examination, they were still iffy on the process.

_Damn… I __**WILL**__ figure this out!_ He cursed to himself as he turned to the view screen. _At least I get to see what it improves now…_ In the image, Roll watched as Megaman's Navi emblem flash brightly a few times, and an image of Lan separated slightly from him for a moment before disappearing back into Megaman.

"HYAA!!!" Megaman burst forward into the cloud of viruses. Roll had to shield herself from the strong back draft he left in his wake. He dove right into the swarm, taking them out one by one via buster or hand to hand combat.

"Guts guts! Dex look at him go!" Dex watched in awe, almost not even hearing his navi.

"Hya! Hya! Hya!" The two were really getting into it. Viruses were even deleting each other by accident because their stray attacks were missing horribly. As he fought on, Lan kept trying to figure out something.

_Why? Why attack a game board?! It is such an insignificant tar…_ He suddenly remembered something.

…

_There have been attacks on rather pointless locations…_

…

_WAIT! THIS MUST BE!!!_

"YAAA!!!" Megaman knew that scream.

_LAN!_

_I know! That was…!_ They turned to see a familiar cloaked figure holding Roll in a head lock with a sword at her neck. The very same navi who had almost killed her earlier that day. Megaman and Lan became enraged at the sight and rocketed towards him, but they stopped dead when he pressed the sword closer to her.

"Come any closer and she's deleted!" The voice sounded a little frantic, but not enough for the others to take notice. "I don't know how you lived through that cannon blast…" He glared at Roll, and then focused on Megaman. "I'll make sure there isn't enough left to recover if you move."

"Who the hell are you?! What is with the Shadow Syndicate!?" The navi chuckled.

"If I told you that, I'd be an imbecil for revealing our plans! Now hold still unless you want her to die. And YOU! Operator, if you release full synchro I'll do the same, so you better stay put!" Lan flinched.

_He knows about full synchro…_ The two then realized that the viruses had ceased their attack and were staring him down. _He's controlling ALL of these?! _Suddenly a mettaur shockwave collided with him.

"AARGH!!!" Megaman grunted has he fell to the ground. He got to his feet and called his megabuster, but a yelp from Roll as the navi put more pressure on the sword caused them to stop. Lan and Megaman stood still as the viruses began attacking. Bombs, cannon fire, swords, they were being beaten around severely. In the real world, burn marks, bruises, and scratches started appearing on Lan.

"LAN!!" Maylu yelled as she dropped her pet and ran over to him. She looked him up and down in horror as blood trickled down his face from a head wound. Knowing there was nothing she could do; she ran back to her Pet and grabbed an Areasteal chip.

"Better not do that…" A voice called to her, "Unless you want to lose your little pink friend…" Maylu's hand shook with the chip hovering by the slot on her Pet.

_What do I do?!_ Maylu's thoughts were racing with no finish line in sight. Roll was struggling against the hold of her captor, but she just wasn't strong enough to break his grip.

"You are a feisty one… don't worry, I'll let you go as soon as your friend is dead…" Roll's eyes shot open in fear and became teary as she watched Megaman get the stuffing pounded out of him. Maylu had also heard, and had a hand over her mouth in shock.

…

_What happens to the Navi… Happens to the operator…_

…

Something snapped inside both Maylu and Roll. Little white sparks began popping around Maylu. At this point both Maylu and Roll had only one thing on their mind…

"LAAAAAAN!!!!"

"MEGAAAAAA!!!!!" As they screamed in unison a white aura ignited from Maylu's body. Yai, Dex, and Tory jumped back in surprise.

"What the---?!" Tory's eyes shot back and forth between Lan and Maylu. Tory had seen Lan use full synchro in the past, but he wasn't expecting Maylu to do the same.

"No way…" Dex couldn't believe it. Had Maylu mastered it before him? In the terminal, Roll's emblem began flashing erratically.

"What…?!" The Shadow Syndicate navi felt his sword lurch. Roll had grabbed it in her hand. "Huh…?!" Maylu opened her eyes and saw the cyber world, if this were a normal circumstance she would be in shock and amazement, but her eyes, now full of tears could see Megaman getting massacred by the viruses.

"NOOOO!!!!" Maylu and Roll yelled in unison as her grip crushed the navi's sword. In one movement she thrust her arms outward, breaking completely free from the navi's grip. She wound up, spun around, and punched the navi right in the face. The force behind the blow was so great that the navi's feet left the floor as he careened into the wall behind him. Roll dashed at him, tears flying off her eyes. Right before she could land another punch, the navi grunted and disappeared. Roll's fist went right into the wall causing a large portion of it to collapse. There was no sign of the navi, the most likely possibility was that he had disappeared like all the news reports had read. Roll and Maylu came to this conclusion without much evidence or thought, because the most important thing on their mind right now was Megaman and Lan. Without turning to locate him first Roll sprang backward, rotating around mid dash while hurling herself at the viruses. In an instant all the viruses in a ten foot radius of Megaman were all deleted. Megaman, covered in injuries, looked up slowly to see Roll, her emblem shining just like his. Megaman and Lan couldn't believe their eyes, but instead of making a big deal out of it, they knew what had to be done first. Now that Roll was safe, he didn't have to take any more punishment. Now back to back once again, they rocketed in opposite directions, swiftly moving in and out of the virus crowds, deleting them one right after another in rapid succession. Tory, Dex, and Yai all watched, dumbfounded by the quickness and efficiency of the two. There were hundreds of viruses, and it was all over in a matter of minutes. The final virus split into dissolving data from a Roll arrow as the two stood back to back, breathing hard from quite a workout.

"Mega…" Megaman heard a tired, yet concerned voice ask him as he was still leaning against the back of its owner. "Are you okay?"

"A little beat up… but I'm fine…" Their navi emblems ceased glowing simultaneously. In the real world, the aura's disappeared from around the two operators. Lan fell to a knee the instant he was back in control of his body.

"Lan!" Maylu dropped her Pet on the table, rushed over to him, and crouched beside him. The others followed behind her. They were all eager to question Maylu at her sudden display of ability, but there would be plenty of time for that once Lan was given medical attention. He was badly torn up, cuts and bruises littering his body, not to mention his head was still bleeding. He managed to raise his head in between gasps for air to see her with a very worried look upon her face. She didn't have to say it; he knew the question on her mind. He grinned and tried his best to look manly.

"No worries! I've had much worse!" He pounded his fist to his chest, a little too hard, causing him to hunch back down. Maylu's expression lightened; his corny remark had lifted the mood a bit, and inadvertently punching himself almost made her laugh, but she found she didn't have the energy to do so.

"Let's get him to our nurse… We need to patch him up…" Yai suggested as Dex and Tory bent down to give him a hand. As they got him to his feet, Maylu suddenly stumbled.

"Oh…" She caught herself, glancing upward. The room seemed to be blurry.

"Maylu? Are you alright?" Yai questioned, causing the rest to turn and face her.

"Yeah… I'll be fine… just a little dizzy…" She wobbled towards the couch and sat down. "I need to rest… I'll be along shortly…" Yai eyed her cautiously before nodding in agreement and leading the rest out of the room. The second the door closed behind them, Maylu let her fatigue take over and she fell sideways, laying herself out on the couch.

Roll was beginning to feel woozy as well as she tended to Megaman. He himself was rather shaken up, forced to sit on the ground, supported only by his arms extended behind him. Slits and cuts of slightly disrupted data were fizzing all over him not to mention a great deal of his body was burned from explosions and cannon fire. Roll decided it would be best to use a subchip. She knew Maylu was in possession of a few, so she called to her operator.

"Maylu!" A few seconds of silence crept by. "Maylu?" She called again. Feeling her head bob slightly. She steadied herself with a small backward step and refocused on the screen. This small stumble did not go unnoticed by Megaman.

"Roll… I'll be fine, you're probably exhausted from all that…" She waved a hand towards him without turning around.

"Hush Mega… Maylu!?" She called once more. Megaman sighed and tried to stand up, only to fail and plop back down on his rear.

"Strange…" Roll said to herself. She traced a window and brought up the screen controls. Upon moving the screen around, she eventually landed on Maylu fainted on the couch. _Darn! She's already tuckered out…_ She turned back to Megaman, her expression was beginning to show obvious signs of grogginess. _Oooh… I guess I'll use my healing powers… it won't be as effective, but if I'm going to do anything I should do it before I pass out!_ "Okay Mega…" She walked towards him, trying to be subtle with the obvious sway that had made its way into her walking pattern. She stopped in front of him a kneeled down, cupping her hands in front of her Navi emblem. Megaman, of course, recognized this immediately.

"Roll! You've already used too much energy! I'll be fine, you need to remmmrph…" He was cut off by Roll holding a finger to his mouth.

"Mega… I have more than enough energy to use my healing data on you… Please…" She gave him a stern look that he wasn't about to raise a fist to. So he obeyed and waited patiently as she worked. She held her hands over her navi emblem with her eyes closed, concentrating until a pink glow emanated from her palms. She kept her hands side by side as the light formed an orb of sparkling light in her hands. She sat down on her knees and leaned forward, pressing the orb of light into his chest. The light surrounded him, his injuries slowly healing. This would not heal him fully, but it would at least stop his data from acting up. When the glow disappeared, she was still leaning towards him. She found that her body would not move and that her limbs had all gone numb. She heaved a sigh as the extra expense of energy, after going through full synchro, wore her out completely. She dropped like a ragdoll right into Megaman. He was startled as she suddenly seemed to throw herself at him.

"R…Roll?" He grabbed her around the waist, turning her so he could see her face. He sighed in relief as realized that she was only sleeping. He eyes closed, and her mouth parted only slightly, all around, every indication of Roll's typical sleeping face were there. Due to her healing he was able to move again, so he took this advantage she had granted him to lift her up in his arms as he stood, despite being a bit worn out himself. He made his way out of the battle table and into the network system before transferring to the "Navi lounge" built into the social room. The room was full of net-replicas of furniture one would find in the real world. He carried her over to the large couch near the center, and sat her down in the corner so she wouldn't lie down. He was planning to sit down with her, which would be difficult if she was covering the whole couch. Her head bobbed to one side, and to Megaman this looked rather uncomfortable.

_Well… she will wake up without a stiff neck… and… It gives me an excuse…_ He reached up to her helmet and found the release tabs on it. He grabbed the edges and hesitated. _I… I want to…_ He gripped the helmet and slowly pulled it off her head. When the helmet detached, her blocky ponytail de-rezzed and was replaced by her beautiful blond hair as it fell down upon her shoulders. Megaman placed her helmet on the floor, and then gaped at the sight. Not only was he enthralled by the fact she was helmetless again, but being asleep as well, she looked beyond any form of "cute" that he could fathom. He blushed as he almost blinded himself by not blinking for an extended period of time. _She's… so damn beautiful… why did I not see it until now…?_ When he finally managed to move himself to the couch, he sat beside her, not moving his eyes from her. The pressure from his presence on the couch must have caused her to shift, because she slowly fell towards him, her head resting on his shoulder. Megaman's mind blanked as no known thoughts to him could describe how he felt right then and there. His body moved on its own as his hands rested on the latches of his helmet. He removed it, his black, messy hair appearing just as hers had. Perhaps his body had done it on instinct with a desire to make her more comfortable, her head now fitting into the groove between his neck and shoulder with no helmet in the way. Whatever it was, he had no idea, but he did nothing to stop it. This was the most stimulating position he had ever been in, and he wasn't about to protest it. He decided to sit and let her rest upon his side, unable to pry his eyes from her.

…

…

…

…

Lan poked his head into the social room, he peered back and forth until his eyes fell upon a figure on the couch. He fully entered and moved closer to get a better look. He smiled when he spotted Maylu face down on the couch. _Well, I would've been surprised if she wasn't fainted somewhere… using full synchro to its fullest only after three tries… Her body will probably feel fried for another day or two…_ Figuring she was only sleeping now, he decided to try and wake her. He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Maylu?" She stirred and made an incoherent sound that was mostly muffled by the couch. She slowly lifted her head from the cushion and blinked a few times to focus her vision. "Keep this up and you'll sleep more than me." She jumped, startled by the sudden voice. She quickly identified its owner and spun to the side.

"Lan! Are you…" She stopped short as she laid eyes upon him. He was covered with bandages; she figured most of them were covered by his clothing. She sat up and stood quickly, walking towards him with a quickened pace. He gave her a weak smile as she reached him, but she placed her hands on his shoulders and began examining his wounds closely. He looked confused by her gesture, but decided to reassure her before any more worry set in.

"No worries, Yai's nurses took care of all my wounds." She pulled back a step from him and smirked while looking about his body again.

"You look like you got hit by the Metroline." She laughed as he rolled his eyes.

"At least I don't have a self inflicted abnormal sleep schedule." He bounced back while poking her in the shoulder. "Anyway, since it's nine o'clock now…" Maylu's shock was apparent.

"WHAT!? I've been out for four and a half hours!?" She glanced around the room until her eyes landed on a replica of an old grandfather clock. She had been sleeping for a while, not to mention she was still feeling quite spent. Lan cleared his throat to regain her attention.

"Anyway… The others went ahead, we're all gonna eat dinner, I know it's late, but they were waiting on the two of us. After that I think Yai said we were gonna change into our sleeping clothes, watch a movie and hit the sack…" Lan explained while counting on his fingers to himself. Almost as if on cue, Maylu's stomach growled. Her hands shot to her abdomen while blushing with embarrassment. Lan chuckled. "We've both used up a lot of energy… come on, we need to recharge, you especially." She was still blushing, while he moved to his Pet. "Hey Megaman let's…" He stopped right as he picked up his Personal terminal.

"Huh?" Maylu eyed him, puzzled by his silence. "Lan, what's wrong." He turned his head to her, smiling, putting a finger to his lips and beckoning her towards him. She complied, walking towards him quietly and removing her Pet from the table. She gasped slightly at what she saw. Roll and Megaman, both asleep on the cyber couch. Megaman had nodded off while sitting wither her, and now had his head rested atop hers, both with their helmets removed. Maylu immediately took about twenty screenshots of the snoozing pair, while Lan secretly took one or two to tease Megaman with later. After watching their navis for a minute, they looked u at each other. There was a silence between them until Lan snapped it by shrugging.

"Looks like they're just as tired… come on let's get to dinner." Maylu nodded as the two secured their Pet's while allowing their navis to sleep peacefully. They exited to the hallway, Lan holding the door until Maylu was through. Being a long walk to the dining room, Maylu decided to break the ice.

"So… I did it…" She played it off as if it were natural.

"Yes you did, and it was incredible. You managed to awaken full synchro on your third try… … I'm jealous of your quick learning ability…"

"It comes from paying attention in school." She batted her eyelashes at him in a taunting way.

"Are you calling me stupid?" He playfully raised a fist towards her.

"**YES.**" She laughed as he hung his mouth open. "I'm just kidding Lan." They reached the dining hall door, and stood in front of it, continuing their conversation before entering. "But still… it was amazing… I don't know what sparked it, it all seemed to end so quickly… too bad I still can't take the stress on my body…"

"That will come in time. The more you use it the easier it becomes. There are things you can do in the real world to help it, but we'll talk about it later. For now, congratulations on being the quickest in the world at learning full synchro." He gave her a smile. She giggled.

"Why thank you…"

"And I know you'll hate me for saying this, but only use it if you absolutely must… unless you want this to happen." He waved a finger around his bandaged body. She rolled her eyes slightly and placed her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, yeah I know…" Lan was relieved that that's all he got for bringing up her personal safety again. He was afraid another argument would start.

"Alright! Let's eat!"

…

…

…

…

…

Dinner went by smoothly, Maylu was bombarded with questions, mainly by Dex, but other than that nothing bad happened. By the time they finished it was around ten fifteen. The guys and gals went their separate ways to change into their sleeping clothes and were on their way back to the social room.

"Mmm…" Roll stirred slightly, awakening, but not realizing where she was. She yawned and decided to close her eyes again, not feeling any urge to wake up. She nuzzled herself into what she thought was a pillow, or couch, or something… she figured she was placed somewhere comfortable after passing out. She shifted slightly and bumped into something. "Hnnn…?" She prodded around with her hand, trying to locate and identify what she had hit. _Is this… an… arm…? Wait, what…?_ Despite her unwillingness to do so, she parted her eyelids and tilted her head slightly. First she caught glimpse of her helmet on the floor. _That explains the blonde hair in my face… but why did they take it off?_ Then she spotted a different color with her peripheral vision. Blue. She focused on it and didn't know how to respond to what she saw. A blue helmet. **Megaman's** helmet. She suddenly felt a little more awake. Half of her wanted to confirm a joyous possibility that it was Megaman she was leaning against. That would mean he instigated it, seeing as how she was out cold. The other half wasn't so sure if she wanted to sink into the feeling or jump away from it. She took her chances and turned her head further, and nearly overheated. It was him. He was there. He had used himself for her to lean on. It all came in so quickly that she couldn't sit still. Her hands flew to her face as if magnetized, covering the harsh crimson spread across her visage. Incidentally, this quick motion also caused her to unintentionally elbow him in the side… rather hard.

"OW!" The sudden impact jolted him from his slumber as he clutched his side. He glanced around, remembering where he was and what he was just doing. Not feeling the weight on his shoulder anymore he realized that Roll must've waken up. He also figured that she must have hit him for the "extra things" he did. _Oh jeez, maybe taking the helmet off and having her lean on me was a tad over the top… I bet she's mad… why else would she have hit………me…? _She was still right next to him, barely an inch between them. He finally had built up the courage to look at her, only to find her facing away with her hands on her face. "Roll…?"

"Yee!" She squeaked, startled by the sound of her name. She made a three quarter turn to face him, almost as if she was peaking at him from behind a wall that wasn't there. Megaman could clearly see the deep blush, even if she was trying to cover it with her hands.

_S…she's b…blushing!? Oh no… I think I may have crossed a line…_

"Mega…" Her voice caught him from his mental freefall with an extremely timid tone.

"Y…yes…?" She faced him fully and removed her hands from her face.

"Thanks… for watching me… but…"

_Uh oh… I don't like where this is going…_ He got ready to deny any sort of question he wasn't ready to answer.

"Why…… did… you take off my helmet…?" He mentally sighed in relief. This question had two answers, the real one, and the bullshit one that was still true at the same time. He immediately chose the second.

"Um… Your head was being weighed down by it…"

_Oh…_ Her disappointment set in halfway through his explanation.

"… It looked uncomfortable, and…" He shut himself up right there, hoping she hadn't heard that last word, but she had.

"And…?" She choked out in between her nervous blinking and shortness of breath. He was cornered, he had to say something. A lie would be the best option, but the thought of lying to her flat out made him feel very uneasy. So he opened his mouth and hoped the first thing that came out was what his heart wanted him to say.

"I… also…" Luckily for him his heart also softened the explanation, preventing him from making the situation any more awkward. "I… really like… your hair."

There was a long silence. Not many changes had occurred since Megaman's seemingly small comment, but Roll's eyes had grown wider. She thought she was going to faint again, and not because she was exhausted, but because she thought she was going to burst. Megaman had shown major signs of liking her suddenly, in a way more than just friends would. The only problem was, she couldn't move. Normally on the rare occasion that Megaman would compliment her or show some sort of affection for her, she'd squeal happily and nearly tackle him with a hug, but something rang differently here, and if the uncertainty lasted any longer, she felt as though she would throw up.

Megaman really had absolutely no idea how to proceed. For one he had barely ever handled such personal situations with the opposite sex, not to mention this specific member of said gender. Not only that, but the times he had been through such instances, none were nearly as bad as this colossal emotional explosion. Megaman needed a plan fast. Luckily for him, one came. His sensors picked up heat signatures approaching the social room. He figured Roll didn't want anyone to catch them like this. Hell, neither did he, so he acted startled and quickly.

"Roll! Someone's coming!" As he had hoped, the plan worked like a charm. Roll seemed to snap out of a daze.

"Ah!" She frantically picked up the helmet closest to her, as did Megaman. The sound of the door opening and the voices of all the operators filled the room.

"Ah shoot! Roll!" They both realized they were holding the other's helmet. They quickly exchanged and slipped them on, but before they could secure them…

"And just what were **you two** doing?" They both froze at Yai's. Roll was crossing her fingers in hopes that Yai was the only one at the terminal. They turned, to see Maylu beside her with one eyebrow raised. Megaman was relieved that Lan hadn't seen it, even though he had planned in talking to Lan about **all** of this later. Roll on the other hand was mentally cursing every foul word she could come up with. There was no way Maylu was going to leave her alone about this. Three bright flashes signaled the entrance of the rest of the navi gang. Gutsman and Iceman plopped down on the couch as Glide walked over to set up the cyber screen.

"You two can continue later…" Yai teased. "But it's movie time right now… so please hold off till then." She backed away from the screen laughing. Megaman and Roll were not amused, but they went along with it. Megaman took the last spot on the couch and Roll grabbed a cusion from a nearby chair to use on the floor. She placed it in front of the couch arm, below Megaman. Glide finished setting up and did the same below Iceman. This left Gutsman taking up most of the couch in the middle as they waited for Yai to start the movie. The large navi poked Megaman on the shoulder with a huge finger.

"What?" He asked in a slightly cold tone of voice, catching Roll's attention as she too looked at Gutsman.

"Guts wants to know what Yai meant by "Continue Later"…"

"**NOTHING!**" Megaman and Roll yelled in unison, startling him to the point where he fell backward on the couch. A quiet muffled scream was heard.

"Jeez, Guts, I just wanted to know…" He repositioned himself on the couch, then glanced to his right. "Guts? Where did Iceman go?" Glide tried not to laugh as he reached in between the cushions of the cyber couch and pulled Iceman out from in between them.

"Watch it you big lug! You almost killed me!"

"Oh, there you are, Guts…" Iceman continued fuming at Gutsman's lack of awareness as the others laughed.

…

"OKAY! After much debate here is what I've selected!" She held up a data disk with a large label that everyone could read.

"Believe in Me?" Lan spoke out the title. "Yai, as much as I like that movie it's four and a half hours long…"

"Which is why I picked it!" She explained with an "as a matter of fact" attitude. "This will take up the rest of the night, and then we can go to bed!"

"Lan what movie is this?" Maylu questioned as she sat down to his right on the couch.

"Remember the hit series, "Zero"?" Maylu's eyes lit up.

"Oh! Yeah, part of the long running Rockman series! The one about the awakened hero, who appears in a time of chaos and discord… fighting against the authority of the dystopia…" She was reciting it as if it were the commercial she had first seen for it.

"A lot of Navi's are based on characters from this long running popular chain of shows." Tory explained out of the blue. "Iceman, for example, is based on one of the characters from the original show back in 19XX… I'd have to say though, that "Zero" was my favorite series of the shows.

"That show was amazing… They all were. Zero was pretty good in comparison with the others in the Rockman universe. It was only four seasons though… ending was pretty sad…" Maylu finished, still eager to hear about the movie.

"Well this movie takes place where it left off. It's very long though…" Lan explained. "If you liked the Zero series then you'll love this… it continues the story and ties up every loose end." Yai interrupted everyone.

"OKAY THEN! While the night is still young!" Yai inserted the data disk and plopped into a bean bag chair. The movie began with the last line spoken by the hero from the show.

"Ciel… You have to believe in me!"

(Gee I wonder what their watching? Hee hee. If interested, check out my other megaman fic! Flash.)

The movie was just as Lan described it. **LONG.** Besides that though, everyone was enjoying it greatly, especially Maylu, who had never seen it before. The Hero fought countless battles and everything was coming to a close. A romantic rooftop scene between the hero and heroine was unfolding and Maylu was trying her best not to squeal in delight. The movie had done everything she wished the show had and this with the penultimate scene she wished to see. Without realizing it she started pushing herself against Lan, grabbing his arm and pressing her body to his, her eyes glued to the screen. This startled Lan like nothing ever before.

_Uh oh… she's in romance mode… _He noticed a sparkle in her eyes that signaled her obliviousness to anything else._ Probably doesn't even know she's crushing my arm…_ Lan turned his head in time to see her lean her head on his shoulder. _Okay Maylu… going a bit far…_ In the movie the two finally shared a kiss and Maylu's grip on his arm suddenly tightened and relaxed. _Ow… _It was at this point she noticed she was attached to Lan, but to her own surprise there was no red light going off in her head that was shouting, "STOP". She acted as if her position was a gradual commitment and stayed still as the movie continued. He was warm, it made her feel secure.

_This… isn't half bad…_ She thought. _In fact… this is pretty nice…_ A small blush appeared under her eyes. _Oh… no… oh no… what am I saying… I don't want our friendship to fall… but… oh this can't be happening…_ She closed her eyes. _This can't … I can't be…_

Lan glanced at her again. She hadn't moved, he was beginning to wonder if she was asleep. That thought seemed to take a back seat as he focused on her hair. The shiny red locks always seemed to shine. It was one of the things he had always liked about her was how her hair was so unique. He had never put much thought beyond that. She was his best friend, since birth even. He'd thought things would always be that way, but something was different. Something was changing in the way he saw her. It was just a small change at first, one that he believed he could safely ignore, but as they aged further, there were apparent changes, he found himself looking at her more often, wanting to be around her more often, wanting to be closer to her. All but the third had been generally fulfilled. Now the third was having unexpected effects on him.

_She's so close… her touch is so light… her hair… Oh no, here I go again… I've got to stop this. She's… like a sister, it'd feel so wrong… then why? Why? Why? Why? Why!? Why do I keep seeing her with a new light?! What has happened to me? Why am I suddenly so eager to reject a promise I made to myself?! I'll always be her best friend! I will not ruin that with these urges…_ He looked away from her, but something forced him to look right back. _But… I… I… I don't know what to do… even though I know all that… I still can't stop myself… I just can't… I… think I'm… _

As if preordained by an unknown force, they both caught each other's eyes. Neither knew where to go next, but something brought them to look deep into each other as if prodding for an answer, longing for an idea, dying for a reason. The moment was intense, something within them both seemed to just open up and flow free. It was new to both, mysterious in its own way. There was no blushing, no embarrassment. They felt as though one of them had to do something, say something, but they kept still, frozen in fear of what it might mean if the moment were to be meddled with.

If not for Yai tripping over Dex's foot and knocking a stack of movie disks over, the connection may have led to more, which could have stained their view on their relationship.

"OW! DEX! Get your cruise ships out of my way!" (She's referring to his large feet.)

"I'd argue with you, but it never works…" Dex grumbled as he rose from the seat, scratching his head. Lan and Maylu were still "half-cuddling" but they were no longer looking at each other. The sudden loud noises had snapped them from the dual trance, and they were childhood friends again. Maylu quickly pulled away from Lan, but kept looking forward. Lan was in a similar daze. The world seemed to go silent as Yai spoke something about going to bed and about the girls and boys being in separate rooms before grabbing Maylu by the sleeve and dragging her along. Dex and Tory tried talking to Lan, but he was paying no heed to their words. Right before Maylu disappeared behind the door she was being led out of, she took another glance at Lan. He did the same, and then she was gone.

---To Be Continued---

* * *

Hormones... they've f--ked with all of us. But let me tell you, falling for your best friend can be difficult. It has happened to me in the past and lets just say that rarely works out in the end. She saw me as a brother and i saw more, so it crashed and burned. Thankfully we got over that and we're back to being best friends, but yeah, if you have a childhood sweetheart that you manage to work out love with, you are very lucky, never let it go.

On the other note, things are heating up! Maylu finally experiences full synchro! Lan gets the tar beat out of him, but he's been through worse. The shadow syndicate is proving to be frantic. Having survived an encounter with the navi twice, will he come after Megaman and Roll? Will everyone finally get to the bottom of this organization? Should i be shot for advertizing another fic of mine in the fic? XD. (Please don't) Answers await in the next chapter! (Which should be out a little while after i finish another chapter for my golden sun story, the usual.)

Despite the aparrent decrease in megaman fanfic reviewrs, i still love all ya. Thanks to all those who read and/or review my work. It means a lot to me as a writer and a fan of the series. You guys rock!

Please read and review!!!!!

Flashgunner over and out!


	5. A Sigh of Relief

Well, first i gotta say that i'm sorry for the longer waits, thats how it's gonna be from now on since i'm back in college and all. But damn! How the hell do i keep writing longer and longer chapters? i swear i'm not even trying to, it just keeps taking more and more space to put down what i want for the chapter.

In other news this will be the last chapter of the first arc. The second arc will begin with chapter six.

Anyway, Here is the fifth installment of Love Knows No Limit.

Story

"Talking"

_Thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me Talking)

Enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

Written by: Flashgunner

Ch. 5: A Sigh of Relief

One might think that Lan and Megaman had a hard time sleeping that night, likewise for Maylu and Roll. However, their fatigued bodies spared them the agonizing feeling of getting no sleep through confusion and bewilderment. Surprisingly, the one who was having trouble sleeping was Dex. He stared at the ceiling from his sleeping bags position on the floor, the same two images running through his head. One of Lan inducing full synchro, the other of Maylu awakening hers.

"Dammit…" He whispered to himself. There had been times in the past when he had felt useless, but this topped them all. _I gotta figure this out… The last thig I need is to be brushed aside again…_ He looked towards his Pet, spotting Gutsman asleep on the floor of the Pet with no bed program or anything. _Gutsman, you know how I feel, I know you'd like nothing more than to dive into the same danger Megaman does, to help him protect the world and the ones who he cares about…_ He looked back at the ceiling… _But unless we learn Full Synchro… we're staying put… _He let his mind wander for a moment before clenching his fist. _It's decided… these next few days I'm gonna dedicate myself to this… I wonder if I can download today's video feed from the battle stage…_ He went into deep thought, but eventually felt tired, even though he had messed up his sleep schedule the night before. _I'm… gonna…… fight……… _And he finally drifted to sleep.

…

…

…

…

Morning peaked over the horizon and nearly left before any of them could acknowledge it. Everyone woke up well past ten, except for Lan and Maylu. Dex and Tory took no notice to Lan still snoozing like a buzz saw, but Yai was trying to wake Maylu.

"HEY! SLEEPY HEAD!!!" Maylu only so much as stirred slightly, before pulling the covers tighter over her body. Yai stomped her foot on the ground. "Glide!" The navi appeared on the bedroom screen.

"Y-yes Miss Yai?" He was obviously nervous at his operator's angry demeanor.

"Sound the alarm system only in this room!" Glide put on a dumbfounded look.

"Um… Miss Yai, I know she won't wake up, but isn't that going a bit overboard?" Yai shot him a fuming glare. "A-a-a-ah yes! Of c-c-course! R-right away!" Yai brandished a pair of headphones as if out of thin air and placed them over her ears. _Forgive me Miss Maylu… _Glide activated he alarm for the bedroom and a blare similar to the houses total security system rang throughout the room. Maylu shot up in bed, screaming in fear as if something was coming to get her, clutching the sheets tightly to her chest. Glide immediately shut it off when Maylu sat up; she frantically looked back and forth with a look of pure horror on her face. The sound of Yai's laughter broke her from her terrified state.

"WELL! Look who's finally up!" Maylu loosened her grip on the sheets and let her arms fall down beside her, her facial expression was written all over with annoyance.

"Yai… there has GOT to be a better way to wake someone up…" She shifted on Yai's bedroom couch so she was sitting upright against it.

"Well I tried just about every NORMAL way to wake you, but you didn't respond to a single one." Maylu huffed a sigh.

"Very well… ill take a second to change, then we…" Yai cut her off.

"Oh come on Maylu, let's just go eat!" Maylu stared at her with a cocked eyebrow, eyeing Yai's somewhat kiddy pajama outfit of matching long sleeve blouse and long pants made of the same material.

"It may be fine for you… but I'm only wearing short shorts and a tank top…" _Not to mention one that doesn't quit reach my waist. _She looked down and tried to pull her shirt down only to have it return to its starting position. _At least it USED to fit… _She thought, eyeing her chest, aggravated. Yai grabbed her by the arm.

"Well quit day dreaming! I'm hungry!" Yai whined as she dragged Maylu out the door.

"Wait!! Yai! At least let me fix my hair!!!" Her voice trailed off down the hall.

…

Dex and Tory awaited in the specified dining room as Yai dragged Maylu through the door. After much complaining, Yai consented and allowed Maylu to rid herself of bed head. She breathed a sigh of relief that the boys didn't get a peak at the "freak show" of her mornings.

"Hmm…?" Yai looked around the room. "You know I had a feeling this was gonna happen…" She sighed and let go of Maylu's arm. "Where the hell is Lan?" Dex and Tory looked at each other, then around the room.

"Dunno…" Began Tory, "I was so hungry I just got up and walked here…"

"Same." Agreed Dex as He scanned the room one more time just in case he missed Lan the first time in his grogginess. Yai groaned angrily.

"Well I waited for him last night only 'cause he was hurt… If he wants to sleep through breakfast that's his own fault!" Yai trudged over to the overly large cabinet full of breakfast foods, Dex and Tory eagerly following.

"I'll go get him up; you don't have to wait for us…" Maylu explained to uninterested ears as she paced towards the door. She made her ways through the complicated halls of the mansion, making a wrong turn once or twice, but catching herself before she drifted too far off course. _I've always wondered how Yai has lived so long in this place without a map…_ She eventually found the desired room with the door already ajar. She pushed the door open and entered the guest bedroom… or… one of them at least, Yai had about six. She saw nothing upon looking about the room once, but then she spotted wrinkled up sleeping bags on the floor. _Wait… there's a bed and a couch… but they all slept on the floor? Men…_ She sighed and shook her head as she advanced into the room. She peered over the couch and lo and behold, there was Lan sprawled out on the floor, half in his sleeping bag, and only wearing shorts. This probably would have affected Maylu in a way she wouldn't want had it not been for the fact that she was wincing at the amount of bandages that wrapped around his body. Not only that, but there were already scars on his body from previous encounters. _That looks horrible… note to self, once I can fully use full Synchro, only use it if I absolutely need to… I don't think I could take half the punishment he does…_ The sound of a yawn broke her attention away from Lan.

"Hmm…? Maylu?" Megaman appeared on the Pet screen next to Lan, looking towards Maylu with heavy eyelids. "What time is it…? I didn't set any alarms…" Maylu checked her Pet.

"Ten twenty… breakfast is already being served… but at least **you're** up… someone is still sleeping in… She switched her Pet screen to Roll, who was indeed still sleeping soundly on her cyber bed.

"Well she did go through a lot… Plus she used her healing powers on me last night… even though she had next to no energy left…" Maylu was surprised.

"She did?" Before she could think of anything else a devious plan came to her mind. "Oooohhh…" She smirked at him. He sharpened his attention on her.

"M-Maylu…?" Her sinister stare was making him uncomfortable.

"Speaking of last night…" It took no time at all for Megaman to answer her. He threw his hands up in front of him, waving them sporadically.

"W-W-W-WE WERE JUST EXAMAINING OUR ARMOR!!! BOTH OF OUR HELMETS WERE A LITTLE BANGED UP AND…!!!" Maylu just stared wide eyed at him for a moment as he blurted out what he thought she was talking about. He stopped when she started laughing.

"You didn't even let me finish… no need to be so hysterical Megaman…" She stole a quick glance at Lan. "Jeez, he's a heavy sleeper… your little outburst there was almost as loud as Yai's alarm system…"

"Well now you know why I have such a hard time waking him up in the morning…" She snapped back to him.

"Oh no mister! No changing the subject!" Megaman leaned away from the screen half afraid, half confused.

_Uh… didn't you change it?!?!_ Maylu began fiddling with her Pet and then turned the screen around to face Megaman, it was a folder full of screen shot files.

"As I was trying to say… speaking of last night… explain… THIS!" She pressed the select button on her Pet, opening the highlighted screen shot. The file opened to reveal a picture of Megaman and Roll, both helmetless, sleeping on the couch rather close to one another. Megaman's jaw dropped so fast that if it weren't fully attached to his face, it would have flung right off and literally hit the floor. Maylu couldn't help but have a giggle fit by his reaction which turned into full out laughter. Megaman was frozen in place, every part of last night that he was sure would not become known by anyone else was out and could be easily passed around.

"Don't worry, **I **won't tell anyone… But that doesn't mean he won't…"

"ARGH!!!" Megaman smacked his hands to his face, knocking himself backward onto the cyber bed behind him. "Lan saw it too!?!?"

"Well, he's the one that caught you… I was there with him…" Megaman let his arms fall to his sides, outstretched on the bed.

"Well… we… I… Um…" He began stammering while contemplating possible escapes. Maylu giggled at him.

"No, no… no need to explain it to me… I plan to make "Sleepy" here explain everything to me when I show it to her…" Megaman breathed a sigh of half relief. He was saved for now, but sooner or later Lan was going bring it up, so he had to be ready. "I'm gonna let Roll sleep…" Maylu said out loud to no one as she muted her Pet. Megaman rose from the bed and positioned himself in front of the screen, taking a deep breath.

"LAAAAN!!!!!! WAKE UP!!!!" Lan snorted once and turned away from the Pet. "HEY! DON'T TURN AWAY FROM ME! WAAAAAAKKE UUUUUPP!!!!" He yelled as loud as he could to no avail. Maylu smiled and spoke up before the navi could holler anymore. She placed a hand on the top of the Pet. "Huh…?" He looked up at her.

"Let me teach you a secret technique I developed." She crouched down and moved her head right beside his ear. Megaman stood watching her, aggravated with his arms crossed. "Lan… Laaaan… the Curry shop is giving out free meals today…" Megaman couldn't believe his eyes. Lan started smiling, she was messing with his dreams. "Come on let's go eat there… oh no! We might be too late! It closes in a few minutes!" Lan woke with a start shouting.

"GET THE FREE CURRY!!!" Megaman held his hand over his eyes.

"You can't be serious…"

"Huh…? Where's the Cu…" He turned to see Maylu with cheeky grin on her face. "Again…? Maylu you gotta stop doing that..." He whined.

"Hey, it works better than Megaman yelling at you… Whatever, come on, Yai and the rest are already eating breakfast. She tossed him his white shirt from the night before. He grabbed it, slipped it on, and pulled the rest of himself out of the sleeping bag. As he was reaching for Megaman, he stopped dead in his motion, eyeing Maylu, particularly the small amount of clothing she was wearing. He glanced at her face once, she was messing around with her Pet, so he was safe for a moment. She was wearing another shirt over her current outfit when they were all together last night, but without it, a good amount of her feminine figure was exposed. Megaman broke him from his trance.

"Lan?" He snapped his head towards the pet as Maylu turned to see what was taking so long.

_Oh man… nice save Megaman… I gotta stop doing that… she's practically a sister to me… If she knew I was looking at her like this, she'd feel so awkward…_ "Sorry just stretching out… come on let's get some food, I'm famished!" He bolted out the door, Maylu yelling after him as she followed.

…

…

…

"See ya later Dex! Tory!" Lan waved as the two broke off, down a different street. He turned back to Maylu who nodded before they continued down to their street. Lan stretched his arms up and let out a heavy sigh. "It's only two, but I'm so tired… Full Synchro really drains you…"

"I plan on taking a nap when I get back before doing my homework…" Lan's expression drooped in an instant.

"Ah shoot… I still have to do the homework too…" Silence re-established itself like a bubble of awkwardness. Both were hoping the other would be the first the mention the interesting encounter they shared after the movie, but neither were willing or felt they had the courage to. Eventually Maylu couldn't stand the mental pressure and brought up something else.

"So how are you going to explain to your mom why you are wrapped head to toe in bandages?" Lan looked down at his arms and legs, which were still covered in said medical items.

"I'll tell her we had a Halloween party…"

"In September?" Maylu questioned sarcastically. He slumped as if accepting an early defeat.

"Nah I'll just tell her what happened… you'd be surprised at how hard it is to slip a lie past her… I haven't succeeded in ages… She always figures out when I'm hiding something…"

"If you tell her about how you'll be assisting Chaud and the officials, I'm sure she'll be fine with it."

"That's true…" They made it to Lan's house before the conversation could continue any further. "Well this is my stop…"

"Hey wait, when are you planning on taking action?" As unwilling he was to get her involved the last thing he needed right now was to have her pin him to a wall and reprimand him again.

"Not today… I… **We **both need rest, so I plan to patrol the net afterschool each day this week, in conjunction with my homework of course…"

"Cool, please let me know when you do, 'Kay?" The gun was loaded and ready to fire at his first sign of protest, but to her delight he didn't resist.

"I will…" He turned, but stopped, facing her again before either could take any steps. "And Maylu… watch yourself okay?" Naturally she thought he was belittling her again, but then he continued. "Roll has survived two encounters with this mysterious navi… not to mention you messed him up the second time with Full Synchro. I'd bet he and whoever else he's working with are not too happy about that at all… you're probably going to be targeted. So please… be aware… and stay safe…" Her assumption disintegrated instantly. He wasn't ordering her around or telling her what he believed she should or shouldn't do, he was just showing his concern for her, which was evident by the look in his eyes. She wouldn't admit it, but the whole thing made her heart flutter. She smiled and moved in, hoping he would only take this as one of her usual affectionate gestures. She hugged him.

"I'll be alright… thanks for caring…" He certainly wasn't expecting it; she hadn't hugged him in a while so it totally caught him off guard. His brain immediately clicked at the first thing that came to mind, he hugged her back.

"N…No problem…" It was Maylu's turn to be surprised. On the occasion she had given him a hug, he barely ever hugged back, and if he did it was a very awkwardly horrible excuse for a hug. She always found it humorous, but right now it was different. Lan's hug was relaxed, not tense… Soft, not jittery… it felt comfortable to her. When she realized she was blushing, she quickly, but subtly released her hold on him, which triggered him to do the same.

"Bye! See ya at school tomorrow!" She gave a quick one motion wave to him and continued to her house merely a few yards away. He watched her walk away from him, but didn't stay so long that he would still be there once she turned to enter her house.

Haruka saw the whole thing, peeking from behind the curtains of the front window. _Oh those two… I knew they'd eventually get more into each other. _She giggled to herself, quickly dropping the curtain when she saw Lan turn. She made her way over to the vase on the dinner table to make it look like she was occupied when Lan entered the house.

"Mom? I'm home!" She glanced once and put the vase down in her charade before beginning her motherly routine.

"So how was… LAN!" He smiled nervously as knew exactly what startled her. She rushed at him, grabbing him by the shoulders and looking all over his body. "I thought I told you…!"

"Hold on, HOLD ON!!!" He held his hands up while backing away from her. "There was an incident, if I had not intentionally gotten hurt, Roll may have been deleted…"

"Intentionally…? Roll…?" She gave him a look that was confused, but still had hints of anger and concern.

"I'll tell you the whole thing…"

…

…

…

"Aie…" Maylu dropped her bag on the floor right as the door to her room closed behind her.

"Well! What was THAT all about?!" Maylu heard from her pet speakers as she plugged it into her PC.

"Roll… not now…" She plopped down in her chair.

"Oh there's no way I'm letting this go! You two were hugging for a good half minute!" Maylu's eyes shot open.

"What!? Please tell me you're exaggerating!" She yelled at her monitor which was now occupied by an image of Roll. Roll clamped her hands together with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Oh no I'm not! I had to check the clock a few times! And you said he is just a friend…"

"Roll, do **NOT** start this again!" Roll could sense a similar tone to the verbal punishment she had received in the past for pushing the subject, but she had the will to rebel this time.

"Maylu! You tease me all the time about Mega and I don't get angry!"

"But you are in **LOVE **with him dammit, you've always been! There's a **HUGE **difference. Lan and I are just…" She suddenly stopped right out. Her mouth was half open as if she got stuck trying to say something. Roll crossed her forearms over her stomach, narrowing her eyes at her operator while smiling devilishly. She had the upper hand.

"Just what?" She pressed while leaning closer to the screen. "I sense hesitation Maylu…" She brought a finger up to her lips. "You aren't hiding something are you?" Maylu blushed bright red while her expression quickly fell into intense anger.

"Oh yeah!? You think you're **SO **smart… keep it up…" She snatched her Pet and frantically pressed multiple buttons. "…And **THIS** will go on every message board in the square!" She jammed the Pet towards the PC screen, revealing one of the many pictures Maylu had saved of Roll and Mega leaning on each other, asleep.

"EEEEK!!!" The shrill shriek that came from Roll was almost out of the frequency range which humans could hear. Her hands had clamped over her mouth, her face turned the same color as her body, and even her antenna had straightened out and stiffened as if terrified themselves. Roll **HAD** the advantage, but it was handed right back to Maylu faster than Scilab's master server could calculate two plus two. A feeling of absolute victory washed over Maylu, as Mouse trotted up behind Roll. The little met glance up at her tilting its head from side to side, curious. It jumped slightly at the sound of Maylu dropping the Pet on her desk.

"Game set and match. You can tell me **ALL **about this later, I'm tired." She said contently before disappearing from the screen to take a nap. Mouse looked back up to Roll who was beginning to teeter backwards. Mouse hopped once and scampered over to a cyber chair a couple feet away, nudging it towards Roll. She fell back into it, surprised, as she was expecting to hit the floor. She turned and saw Mouse staring up at her from behind the chair. She smiled sheepishly at him before he jumped up into her lap. She let out a sigh, relaxing the tenseness in her body; her antenna drooped down and fell beside her like double ponytails.

"Thanks Mouse…" She noticed the met glancing back and forth. She followed its eyes to her standard weapon and scanner. "Oh shoot… I hate it when this happens…" She reached up, trying to realign them. "Argh… darn it." She focused and whisked her head back a few times, trying to run her scanning program to reset their position. Each time they'd glow for a moment and droop back down. Frustrated, she unlocked her helmet and pulled it off rather vigorously, dropping it beside the chair. "I'll deal with that later…" She spoke to herself as she ran her hands through her hair once to fixate it behind her shoulders. She felt something move on her head. Reaching up her hand made contact with a dome. "Mouse? When did you get up there?" She grabbed the miniature helmet and held it out in front of her. Mouse appeared from it, dangling its feet as Roll held him up. "You are one little sneaky devil…" It closed its eyes happily making his signature "Meep!" Noise. Roll giggled and placed him back down in her lap.

Her mind wandered back to why she was sitting in the chair to begin with. Her face flushed lightly as she recalled the picture Maylu revealed to her. _Great… Maylu saw that… I hope Lan didn't…_ She called a control panel beside her and accessed the Pet memory banks, bringing up the screenshot in front of her. The sight made her blush a little more as she put a hand over her mouth. _I didn't want to believe it could actually be true… when I woke up I was clueless, when she showed me this, I was dumbfounded… but now… now that I look at it more closely… There is absolutely no way I could've ended up in that position unless he took the time to keep me upright and then sit right down with me…_ She suddenly felt very warm and she hugged herself tightly, softly closing her eyes. _He definitely did that all himself! Mega… are you finally returning all the affection I give you…? Oh it was always such a puppy love sort of thing… now that he's actually getting into it… it makes me feel different, for the better, but… a little nervous…_ She opened her eyes; a few strands of hair fell in front of her face. As she brushed them back a voice entered her head.

_I… really like… your hair…_

She blushed heavily as she remembered Megaman's words. Upon regaining control of her emotions, she glanced around the PC. Her eyes fell on the clock. "Two forty… I should probably set up Maylu's homework…" She got up off the chair and began walking, but stopped when she heard a hushed dragging noise behind her. She turned and realized her helmet had followed her along the ground. Confused, she took another step. The helmet followed, stopping abruptly again. She put two and two together and reached down, picking up the helmet, revealing Mouse beneath it. "Okay goofball… I'll be right back, but thanks for reminding me about my helmet…" Mouse gave her a cheerful expression as she turned around and went about her work.

…

…

…

Lan yawned as he sat up in bed, stretching his hands up as high as he could.

"Lan you better get up, or else you'll never get to sleep tonight…" Lan shifted his eyes to the PC and laughed.

"I'll be alright Megaman… what time is it? Four?"

"Five, Lan… now come on, get cracking on the homework!" Lan fell back down on the bed.

"Nah, you're better at math than I am…"

"I'm not gonna argue with you on that one, but that doesn't mean I'm doing it for you, now GET UP!"

"Fine, fine… geez…" Lan slid off his bed and slumped down in his desk chair. He stared straight forward at the first problem. "Use Foil to determine the following equations, A.) (x+7) x (x+3) =?" Lan just stared at it long enough that his mind got bored and wandered elsewhere. In particular, back to his mother.

…

"So that's what happened, I got a little beat up, but the nurses at Yai's took care of me." Lan finished his story as his mother sat across from him in deep thought. _Um… is she not buying it… it __**IS**__ the truth…_

"Okay Lan, just please be more careful…" Lan sighed in relief. "When you go after this navi please only use full synchro if you need to…" Lan nearly choked on his own breath. He hadn't said a thing to her about the shadow syndicate or the fact he was going to confront them.

"How did…?"

"Chaud stopped by here last night, looking for you."

"Huh…?" _He was around town, but he didn't come by Yai's with us? As anti-social as ever…_ "So he explained everything?" Haruka nodded.

"Yes, I know you can handle yourself, so I won't go on mothering you, just please don't be reckless…" Lan grinned hesitantly, he was hoping he could solve this without much involvement with others, but that idea was pretty much shot now.

"Don't worry mom, I'll make sure **this** doesn't happen again…" he lifted a bandaged arm to indicate what he was referring to. His mother seemed content with the conversation and stood.

"Okay, dinner will be at the usual time…" And she went back about her business. Lan sighed and remembered how spent he was, retreating to his room before anything else could come up.

…

"Wow Lan, that absolutely right…" Lan snapped from his daze and noticed that during his daydream he had typed in: x2 + 3x + 7x + 21. He looked at how much more blank space he still had for working the problem, but he had already written the answer.

"Uh…" He looked at Megaman, then back at the problem. "WOW! I should daydream more often when I do math!" Megaman cleared his throat, grabbing Lan's attention back.

"Unfortunately Lan…" Megaman enlarge the directions so three words that he had highlighted would cover the screen. The words read, "Show your work." Lan groaned.

"You're like a constant downer Hub…"

"Well if you turned in math homework with nothing but answers written down, your teacher would get suspicious… I'm just saving you the trouble." Lan leaned to his right, supporting his head with his elbow on the table.

"I'll guess I'll just keep day dreaming so I get all the answers first…" Megaman hung his head.

"Lan… you spent ten minutes in your dream world for the last problem, that's hardly efficient… just do your homework like every other person at school." Lan stared straight at him, gave out a sigh and focused on doing the math correctly.

Two hours later with Dinner mixed in…

"Man… why can't they give us virus busting homework like they did in elementary?" Lan complained as he slumped back into his chair.

"I wasn't aware that you needed to learn how to virus bust…" Megaman joked.

"You know what I mean…"

"Enlighten me."

"This stuff is so boring!!!" Lan blurted out, stretching his arms and legs out.

"Hey at least it's done."

"Yeah only to get more tomorrow…" He let his arms slump down to his sides.

"That's life Lan." Lan suddenly perked up.

"Oh!" He grabbed his Pet. "You're gonna get a kick outta this!" He began fumbling with it, pressing many different buttons. Megaman recognized what he was doing.

"If it's the picture of Roll and I sleeping on the couch, I've already seen it." Lan stopped and leaned back, surprised and disappointed.

"Damn, I wanted to see your reaction! Were you organizing files or something?"

"No, Maylu showed me." Lan sighed.

"She beats me to everything…" Megaman crossed his arms and smirked.

"You two were getting a little hot and heavy last night." Lan nearly snapped the back of his chair off by leaning back to hard. "H-hot and h-h-heavy? Megaman, she sort of just latched onto me… she does that to the nearest person whenever she loves a romantic scene in a movie… she's done it to Dex, Tory, Sean, and even Yai before…" He peeked towards Megaman who was staring at him with disbelieving eyes.

"Lan we saw what happened, Roll pointed you two out to me on the monitor screen."

"Oh…?" Lan switched strategies, now he was hoping Megaman would drop it if he sounded uninterested. He turned his swivel chair around so he was facing away.

"How about when you two were staring at each other for a good minute or two?" Lan twitched. He spun around looking as though he was about to rebel. Megaman stood firm, no falter in his expression as he awaited the excuses… but then Lan stopped. He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again before anything could be said. His anger was replaced by a blank look for a moment before he sighed and slumped back in his chair.

"Yes… yes we were…" For some reason Lan was unable to deny it, something inside him didn't want to go against it, as if proud about it.

"Is there anything going on there? I know I'm not one to talk, but you are always so adamant about the whole "best friend forever" thing." Lan leaned closer to the monitor as if he was trying to keep a secret from the world.

"I know, but… have you noticed recently…?"

"Could you be a little **MORE** general…?" Megaman asked sarcastically.

"Sorry… I mean… have you noticed… how beautiful she is?" Megaman lifted his eyebrows slightly. "I mean, she's always been cute… but recently, I can't really describe it with a word that simple…"

"Well you are both older now… maybe describing her that way comes with maturing. But I do agree with you, Maylu is probably the best looking human I know… well besides Pride of course…" Lan chuckled.

"Well you can't compare any girl to Pride, I mean she **is** a princess… Creamland sure knows how to produce good looking girls…" They both got a good laugh out of it. Megaman shook his head scratching his chin.

"Ha haaaa… it's true… but okay, seriously now. As a brother I ask, is anything changing with you two?" Lan regained a serious look in his eyes.

"I… don't know…" Lan turned towards the window, which looked straight at Maylu's house. "Half." Megaman blinked as if he missed something.

"Half?"

"Yeah… to be honest… being around her has been… **really** nice lately… I keep finding more and more things I like about her… But…" He turned back to his brother. "Part of me is unwilling to break a very firm promise I made to her…"

"Oh…" Megaman was well aware of what he meant. Back before everything happened, before the rise of net-terrorism and the WWW. Back when they were both but eight years of age, Maylu had just had her eighth birthday as a matter of fact. Megaman remembered the moment like it was yesterday.

…

…

"Hey! Let me go!" A small red headed girl in a little white blouse and skirt was pushed back to the wall of ACDC elementary.

"Not till you cough up the lunch money. I know you bring lots." A large burley kid at least two grades above her ordered as two other kids slightly smaller than he kept her from running off.

"It's mine! Leave me alone!" The girl spat back at them, earning her another shove.

"We will if ya give us the money." The bully repeated.

"Silly little red headed girl… you ever seen a red head in Electopia before?" One of the others spoke up.

"Naw man… she must be a freak!" They all burst out laughing.

"Why are you being so mean?! I didn't do anything to you!" The girl shot back, with tears beginning to form in her eyes. She was always sensitive about her unique hair color. It came from her mother, who was Netopian. Her mother always told her it made her special, but these bullies had constantly bothered her, always treating her like a misfit because she was different. She lunged forward trying to get between them, only to be pushed right back to the wall, harder this time. She fell to the ground, tears now flowing.

"Just give us the money and we'll get lost, how about it "Reddy"? They all burst out laughing again. The girl couldn't take it, here she was, being bullied for money, being made fun of for her hair, her favorite outfit was covered in dirt, and she was crying while they laughed at her expense. She just wanted to scream, but she didn't have the chance. A rubber playground ball suddenly flew in from the left, past the other two, smacking the one on the right in the face, toppling him over.

"Leave Maylu alone!" A boy from Maylu's class, wearing a white shirt, black shorts, an orange vest and blue headband, jumped in and latched onto the back large bully in the middle.

"Ah!!! What the!?! GET OFF!" The bully began stumbling around flailing his arms. The last bully tried to grab the kid, only to get knocked over by his friend's swinging arms. The boy held tight as the bully continued shaking his body in attempt to jostle the monkey on his back, but ran face first into the brick wall of the school. The boy jumped off as he joined his friends on the ground. The boy stood tall with his chest puffed out with pride, but it was only for a moment. The bullies stood up, all enraged, glaring towards the perpetrator who ruined their easy money plan.

"Get that shrimp!" Yelled the large bully as they took off towards the boy, who himself had broken into a run.

"You guys don't need any extra lunch money! You're already too fat to catch me! HA!" The boy taunted, infuriating the bullies further as they disappeared around the building. Maylu sat still for a moment, eyes still wet with tears.

"Maylu! Who was that boy?" A voice from her hip called. Her eyes shot open in realization. They were chasing him right into a dead end.

"Lan!!!" She yelled as she pushed herself up, tripping once as she broke into a run, but regained her balance quickly, running as fast as she could around the school. She stopped at the second corner, peeking around. She could see the bullies laughing as they walked into the back door of the school. She waited for them to leave before trotting out into the open. As she neared the school dumpsters and trashcans, she noticed that a lot of the cans were turned over and trash bags were strewn all over the place. To her dismay, she also picked out the color orange stuffed between all the trash. "Oh no!" She jumped onto the pile, whisking away the bags and cans until she got a hold of Lan's arm. She pulled him out, and he flopped out, landing on his hands and knees, panting. She became worried as she noticed scratches and bruises all over his body.

"Ouch… ow…" He was quivering, obviously holding back tears. "Are you okay Maylu…?"

"Me?! What about you?!"

"Are you?" He was adamant so she complied.

"Yes… I'm fine…"

"Good." He plopped backward onto his rear, sitting up straight.

"You didn't have to do that you know…" She began as she sat next to him. "I could've just given them the money…"

"No way… the way they treat you, they don't deserve anything…" She sat silently, tucking her knees to her body.

"Sorry… this wouldn't happen if I was such a big target with my red hair…" She recalled how half the insults she had just received were aimed at her unique hair color.

"There's nothing wrong with it." She perked up and looked at him. "I like your hair. It makes you different." A voice suddenly perked up from his hip.

"That's right Lan… your father put it best… it's the differences that make the world unique and individuals special in their own way."

"What he said…" Lan agreed while pointing towards his pet, surprised when she tackled him with a hug. The first of many to occur.

"Thank you!"

"Uhm… sure no problem…"

"Oh!" She suddenly pulled away and reached to her side. Then Lan noticed it too.

"A pet? Did you get a navi?" She nodded while holding it out.

"Yup! Say hi Roll!" The pink navi smiled cheerfully with a wave.

"Lan? Lan! Let me see!"

"Okay, okay!" Lan reached down and pulled the pet off his belt and held the screen a foot apart from hers. The two navi's eyes met. Megaman's immediate reaction was a smile and a friendly wave.

"Hi there! I'm Megaman." Roll blushed slightly waving sheepishly in return.

"Hi…"

"Well we finally both have navis." Lan commented as he returned the pet to his holster. Maylu did the same. Lan tried to get to his feet, but… "OW!" Before he could fall, Maylu supported him.

"You need the nurse… running to save me got you pretty beat up." Lan scoffed.

"Well sooooorrry… my best friend was in trouble, am I supposed to just sit and watch?" Maylu smiled.

"Well… no… I'm glad you did actually…" Lan sighed as Maylu continued to lead him along. "Lan…?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me we will always be best friends… Don't let anything ever change it…" Lan smiled.

"I promise…"

…

…

…

…

…

"Even now you still run in and get yourself bruised and beaten."

"Okay Megaman… Let's not turn this reminiscence into a lecture…" He glared at the PC screen.

"I'm joking Lan… Well not really, but fine I won't." Lan sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"But yeah… I made that promise so long ago… and I will never, **EVER**, break a promise I've made to her…"

"But… wouldn't you technically still be best friends?" Megaman pondered out loud.

"I wish it were that easy… If I pursue this… and she doesn't want to go along with it… I could ruin the friendship… we would never be able to have a non-awkward moment again…"

"Oh………" Megaman couldn't find any way to argue the fact that was written in fine print.

"Alright… I'm still pretty spent from yesterday… plus… oh wow, we've been talking for a while it's already 10:30…"

"We were talking for three and a half hours?"

"Looks like it… oh well, I'm tired… gonna hit the sack alright?"

"Okay… g'night."

…

…

…

…

…

_Almost there, almost there, ALMOST THERE!!!!!!_ A student ripped through the halls of Alpha High on his roller skates, which was not allowed, but he wasn't going to lose his bet with Maylu. He reached for the door and shoved it open, tumbling over his classmate who was in the process of locking it. Everyone in the classroom turned to see the two students on the floor. A firm smacking noise echoed from the front of the room as Mr. Takashi rapped his desk with a yardstick. Catching everyone's attention and bringing Lan to his feet in less than half a second.

"Mr. Hikari…"

"Sorry sir…"

"It wasn't the most beautiful entrance… but you **are** on time… so today I'll let it slide… Please sit down."

"Yes sir!" Lan bowed frantically and plopped into his chair mere seconds later.

"Now then… please open your monitors…" Lan obeyed and followed the rest of the students as they pulled up their screens. Lan smirked, immediately plugged his keyboard into his pet and began typing a message to Maylu that read "I made it, better pay up." He dragged it to Megaman, who had his arms crossed, giving Lan a look that read "You should be paying attention." Lan shot him a look right back that read "Don't give me that look." Megaman sighed, grabbing the message and transmitting it to Maylu's Pet. Before Megaman could do anything else, a message from Maylu appeared in front of him startling him slightly. He grabbed the file and red it himself first, sighing in response. He displayed it for Lan.

"Double or nothing?" Lan glanced towards Maylu's desk. She wasn't looking at him, but he could still see the smirk on her face. In danger of being called a chicken, Lan quickly sent a message of compliance, before turning to Mr. Takashi to "pay attention". Suddenly another message appeared, Megaman wasn't expecting another from Maylu so he pulled it aside and opened it. It was from Roll.

"Hey Mega! So when are you two going shadow hunting tonight?"

_Shadow hunting…?_ Megaman was amused by the way she put it. He forged a response. "After school till about seven, so Lan has time to do his homework." The conversation continued.

"Seven? May want to try six thirty… don't forget you need a window of time to scold him into doing his homework." Megaman had to hold back a laugh so as not to disturb the class.

"That's a good idea, I never thought of that one. You're lucky, Maylu does all her work so quickly, and it's like second nature to her."

"Yeah, but she can be more stubborn than Lan at times… you wouldn't believe."

_That I gotta see…_ Megaman began his next message, but suddenly heard Mr. Takashi begin new directions. He quickly deleted what he wrote and typed a different message. "Looks like they need us for the next lesson, I'll catch you later." When he didn't get a response he assumed Roll got the memo.

…

…

…

…

"Haaaaa…" Dex slumped down in his desk chair moments after entering his room. "School is such a bore…"

"Guts… Dex, should I upload the homework?"

"Nah, I'm gonna fool around a bit first… you can do whatever too…"

"Okay, Guts… I'm gonna go to the square…" Dex leaned back up.

"What for?"

"The BBS." Dex plopped back onto his worn swivel chair.

"Ah, of course… yeah go ahead… give me a shout if ya need me." Gutsman flashed his operator a thumbs up before disappearing into a yellow light. Dex sighed and stood up, walking over to his secret snack stash under his bed. His thoughts turned to the incident at Yai's.

_Just who was that navi? How was he controlling all those viruses?_ He produced a bag of chips and sat back down at his desk. _Knowing Lan… he'll be either trying to get to the bottom of the problem… or he already has and is going after him… _He grabbed a handful of chips eating them one by one. _He probably won't tell me about it either…_ Snatching a bottle of water next to his monitor, he took a few gulps, and setting it back down. _I wonder if Maylu forced her way into it… _He rolled up the bag and set it aside. _I wonder what the two of them are doing right now?_

…

…

…

…

…

"Hey! What are you doing?" Lan questioned as Maylu walked past him through the door of his house.

"If we're doing this together we might as well be in the same place." Lan folded his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, but you walked in like you were part of the family or someth…" Lan was abruptly cut off.

"Maylu, honey, nice to see you!" Lan froze mid word as his mother greeted Maylu **as if** she were a member of the family. "Since you're here, I'll make dinner for three… make yourself at home!" Maylu turned and smiled at him, eyebrows raised.

"Alright, alright, you win…" Lan followed her up the stairs to his room. In actuality, neither was objecting to another chance to be around each other, just, neither would admit it. Soon Megaman and Roll were on the net right outside Lan's PC.

"Well…" Megaman mirrored his operator's habits by scratching the back of his head. "Where should we start…?"

"Um…" Roll intertwined her hands behind her back, looking down at the floor. She was blushing slightly and seemed to be more interested in brushing the toe end of her boot against the net road than looking Megaman in the eye. An awkward silence ensued; they both assumed the other was aware of the screenshot.

"Hey, you two!" The entrance of Lan's voice made them both jump. "Head to the square… if anything happens we'll hear about it there first." They looked back towards each other briefly before beginning a casual stroll towards Den Square.

…

…

…

"Hm… Guts…" Gutsman sat on a cyber bench near the main entrance to the square. He looked to be deep in thought. _Dex and I are just as intense about full synchro… Guts… Maylu and Roll pulled it off with an intense goal… Guts… _He arched back and yelled. "Why can't we do it?!?! GUTS!!!!" He attracted a lot of puzzled looks from navis near him. His eyes popped open wide when he realized he had just yelled in a populated public area. "Oh…" He promptly stood up and began moving away from the bench, a little embarrassed. As he walked, a hooded figure suddenly appeared a good ten paces behind him. It approached Gutsman slowly, decreasing the distance between them by about one pace per three seconds. When the figure came within two paces, his cloak lifted suddenly, brandishing a cybersword. Hearing a noise close behind him, Gutsman turned, only to catch sight of a cyber sword hurling towards him. He had no time to react.

Thankfully, he didn't need to.

"You must have been following me…" A voice snarled from beneath the cloak's hood. A red navi, familiar to Gutsman now stood between him and the mysterious foe, parrying the attack with his own magenta cybersword.

_Protoman?! And… who is…?_

"You really think Den Square security wouldn't report a shady navi, wearing a cloak of all things, entering one of the most public areas of the net? Your little club must be full of armatures." The two pushed apart, Protoman inadvertently knocking over Gutsman as he gracefully back flipped away from his target. Chaud's face appeared behind Protoman.

"Not only that… but from your attack on Gabcom, I gathered that you don't like people who've survived their encounters with you… so once I knew you were in, this fatso over here was the perfect bait…"

"How do you figure that? I haven't come after you have I?" The cloaked navi's sword dissipated and his arm returned beneath the cloak.

"Well it shows you have some intelligence… for you, attacking me would be suicide." Protoman crouched down, awaiting his operator's command. Gutsman was glaring towards Chaud and Protoman.

_He's calling me a weakling… I'm pretty sure he is…_ He glanced back towards the hooded enemy. _But… if what they say is true… then this is the guy who attacked us!_ Gutsman quickly traced a screen with his hand to call Dex.

"Say what you will, you arrogant prick! All the strength in the world means nothing if you can't catch me!" The navi turned away.

"Oh I don't think so!" Protoman rocketed towards the navi, who disappeared right as Protoman reached him. "BLAST IT!" Protoman looked in all directions, but found nothing.

"He's over there Gutsman!! Use this!" Dex's voice suddenly made itself present as Gutsman's hand turned into a hammer. He struck the ground with great force, sending a shockwave careening for a pile of cyber boxes. Upon contact, the boxes flew from their position, revealing the cloaked navi behind them.

"Hey! Stay out of my way!" Chaud yelled towards Dex.

"What?! I just found him for you! You ungrateful son of a…"

"Sir Chaud!" Protoman's voice returned Chaud's attention to his pet instantly.

"Protoman! Detain than Navi!"

"Roger!" Protoman leapt towards the navi as it began running again.

"H-hey! Wait! Gutsman go help!" Dex's face was covering the full view screen.

"GUTS!" Gutsman, complied in his typical fashion as he charged after.

…

…

…

"So… who do you think he is?" Roll broke the awkward silence that had lasted the entire walk.

"Who?" Megaman asked, without thinking due to his nervous state. Roll tapped him on the helmet.

"The navi we're looking for, silly." Megaman blushed slightly, embarrassed by his lack of straight thinking.

"Oh… um… I don't know… Do we know any navi's who are shady and go around wearing cloaks?"

"Bass?" Roll suggested. Megaman scoffed at the idea.

"Are you kidding me? Bass would never condescend to the kind of stuff this guy is pulling off… Bass always fights honorably…" Roll was taken aback slightly by his stern reply.

"Well, soooorry, you're the only one who's fought him; I don't know what he's like."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that… I just know for a fact it isn't him. It can't be." The Den Square transit portal appeared in the distance. "Ah here we go." They made their way up to it. Megaman stepped towards the portal, but hesitated, turning aside and extending his arm towards the portal. "Ladies first?" Roll raised an eyebrow and tried to hold back a giggle.

"Whatever you say…" She took one step and was promptly interrupted as a bright light shone from the portal. A navi draped in a cloak flew from it, colliding with Megaman. Roll sidestepped just in time to watch the two collapses in a heap on the net road.

"Argh! Watch it!" The navi barked as he stood up, freezing in place as he recognized the two he had blessed with his presence. "Oh you have got to be kidding me…" Protoman flew from the portal and landed on the main wave road, cutting off the navi's escape, and Gutsman came hurling from the portal, locking the navi in from all its possible escape routes.

"Protoman! Gutsman!" Megaman called out as he scrambled to his feet, pointing the megabuster towards the enemy. Lan and Maylu appeared on a screen behind him.

"Well, this sure was lucky… not only did we already find him… but Dex and Chaud were already hot on his trail…"

"The game ends… right here, right now… surrender peacefully and I guarantee I won't accidentally slice off your arm." Protoman threatened as the navi kept turning in circles.

"Y…you'll never catch me!" He charged at Protoman.

"I warned you…" Protoman took a swing, but the Navi sidestepped. Not wavering, Protoman changed the direction of his follow through, only to meet air. The Navi had double juked him and was now heading down the wave road.

"Megaman! Take him down in one!" Lan slid three Hi-cannon chips into his pet. They formed together and morphed Megaman's buster into a Zeta-cannon. He began firing the rapid cannon sporadically, trying to disrupt the navi's movement as much as he could. However, the navi's movements proved to be unbelievably swift, after five seconds Megaman found himself without the Zeta-cannon and a valid hit. A sonic boom from Protoman slid along the ground towards the navi, slipping the ground right from under it. As it struggled to regain its balance, Dex transferred Gutsman a rocket punch. The large fist fighter flung his massive balled up hand towards the enemy, scoring a direct hit to the head. A loud *crack* noise was the indication of a painful blow. After coming to a halt a few feet back from the point of contact, the navi frantically rose to his feet and snarled at his pursuers.

"I'll be back!" He hopped slightly off the ground.

"NO! NOT THIS TIME!" Protoman rocketed towards the enemy, knowing he was about to perform one of his disappearing acts.

"Roll! Go!" Maylu threw an Areasteal chip into her Pet. Roll zoomed past Protoman and smacked the Navi to the ground with her Roll Flash.

"Feel lucky that's all you got…" Roll fumed towards the navi on the ground, who had almost killed her twice before.

"Too late." The navi snidely remarked as his body whisked from the cloak in a blur of speed. Megaman fired a few blasts, but he was too far away to make an accurate shot. But right before the navi could disappear a cannon blast struck the ground below the blur, causing it to redirect. It landed on a sheet of ice, sliding towards a normal navi who brandished a cybersword. The normal navi swung as the enemy grew near and slashed its legs. With a cry of pain, the navi fell to the ground, clutching his cut legs. Megaman and company approached the fallen navi to see who had saved them the trouble of a second pursuit. Megaman spotted three figures.

_A cannon blast… only one person I know would do that…_ "Glide!"

"A pleasure to be of assistance."

_A sheet of ice… that's obvious._ "Iceman!"

"Right on time!"

_But who is the normal navi………? OH! This energy signature!_ "Guile!"

"Nice to meet you again Megaman!" A screen appeared behind the navi who had helped Megaman ensure Roll's life.

"You two should become more acquainted, after all, I know his operator well!"

"Sean!?" Lan's screen appeared behind Megaman.

"Guile is your navi?!"

"We'll catch up later." Guile motioned towards the fallen Navi. "Here is your villain."

"Huh?" Megaman stared, dumbfounded.

"You're kidding…" Roll was perplexed.

"Guts…?"

"Unprecedented…" Even Protoman was shocked.

"You mean…" Began Lan as everyone stared at the navi in pain. "All the trouble was caused by… by… this Normal navi?!?!?" indeed, the figure that was once shrouded in the cloak was revealed to be nothing more than a normal navi with a black and red color scheme.

"It would seem so…" Protoman was more than annoyed; he couldn't possibly fathom the idea that such a simple, barely customized navi was able to elude him for so long. He pointed the sword at the navi's face. "You have pushed my temper pretty far, make me any angrier and I can't ensure your safety."

"Okay okay!!! PLEASE!!! DON'T HURT ME!!!" Everyone was surprised. The navi's voice had changed to a much higher tone and the navi itself was cowering in fear at Protoman while still clutching its legs. Megaman approached and grabbed Protoman's sword arm.

"Cool it Protoman, it isn't like you to do this…"

"Hrmph!" Protoman discarded his sword and turned his back to everyone. Megaman sighed at him, then turned back to the navi.

"Okay now… who are you?"

"I…I…I……I…I…" The navi continuously stammered. Megaman shook his hands out in front of him.

"It's alright… look I have no weapons out… now please calm down… what is your name?"

"I…I'm Dagger…"

"Okay… now…" Roll nudged Megaman aside before he could finish.

"What's the deal huh!?!?! You tried to kill me twice!!!" Megaman never saw a navi shrink away in fear so much as the suspect just did. "What's with this Shadow Syndicate?! Why the hell are you guys coming after us!?"

"Ahhh!!!! Please!!!! There… THERE NEVER WAS A SHADOW SYNDICATE!!!! PLEASE STOP YELLING!!!!!" Everyone's jaws dropped at this comment.

"Um… Could you run that last one by me again…?" Megaman took over to ease the wrath of Roll.

"T…T…There never was… A…A… Shadow… Syndicate…" Dagger calmed down a little with Megaman's softer approach.

"Guts… so it was all a charade…?" Gutsman walked up next to Megaman, looking down and the cowering navi.

"Yes… it…it… was all a little… little…"

"HEY!!! What did you do to my navi?!?!" A screen popped up behind the navi, a boy that looked to be in junior high with short brown hair, freckles, and large glasses appeared on it. He looked around at all the navis and saw the people on the monitors behind them. When he laid eyes on Lan and Chaud, recognizing them instantly. "Uh… Oh man… I'm in trouble…"

…

…

…

Officials arrived shortly after Protoman radioed out the news. Dagger was moved to a detention center at Scilab, and the operator was brought along by the police. Lan, Chaud, Maylu, and Yuuichiro all sat in a room with the boy to question him.

"So I was all just a hoax…?" Lan questioned first. The kid sat still, staring at the ground. Eventually he nodded slightly.

"We're not here to cook and eat you… please speak up." Yuuichiro asked as politely as he could. The kid remained quiet for another moment before filling in the request.

"Yeah…My name, is… Roane Sikes… I… I'm always made fun of in school… called four eyes, a wimp, you name it I've heard it…"

"Get to the point." Chaud slammed his fist on the table, making Roane wince.

"Chaud, for the last time, settle down!" Lan grabbed him by the shoulder. "Sorry if you're a bit miffed about us helping you, but you gotta let it go." Chaude wrenched his shoulder free from Lan's grip and leaned back into his chair, grunting annoyingly. "Sorry, keep going."

"I always had my navi… and my programming skills… but, those… never did anything for me… I was always told how stupid and uninteresting I was… so…"

"So you got fed up." Maylu finally chimed in. "You wanted to prove something?" The kid nodded. Lan looked at her, slightly surprised. She glanced at him then whispered. "We've seen this before… You remember Sean."

"Ooooh!" Lan did recall how Sean was once the leader of Gospel. Driven to his evil plots through criticism and hate all around him.

"I wanted to show them that I could do cool things with my talents! I wanted them to know I could make an impact in something!"

…

"He was so dead set on it… I… I had to help him… he's my operator and best friend…" Dagger sat behind a detention force field, Megaman, Roll, Protoman, and the rest had all come to talk to him, eager to know what lay below the surface.

"There is no way a normal navi could have abilities such as yours… how in the world did you manage such feats?" Protoman questioned forwardly, caring little for the back story.

"As said before, my operator just wanted to show everyone what he himself was capable of… I may look like a standard off the shelf navi… but I have a lot of customized internal programs… like the super speed…"

"Wait whoa… he created that program!?" Iceman blurted out.

"He must be quite the programmer…" Glide commented. Dagger's face brightened.

"You really think so? I mean… my intention from the start was to help people see how good he…"

"Enough! Do you realize how much damage you've done to the net?! Not to mention how much pain you've caused me?!" Roll, who was edgy about how nicely everyone was treating the pair from the get go, finally slipped and released a fit of anger. "You almost killed me for god's sake! I'm not the **SLIGHTEST** bit impressed." Dagger cowered away from the verbal assault. Megaman quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and edged her away, whispering to her.

"Please be calm Roll… we want an explanation from him…" She turned and pouted at him, with a half glare of unease in her expression.

"How can **you** be so calm about it?! He nearly killed me… **and** you!" Megaman gave her a stern look.

"And he'll pay for it… right now I'm interested in what's written between the lines." His explanation held weight, enough to mollify Roll's irritation. She sighed and relaxed in the grip of his hands.

"You're right… I'm just a bit on edge…" Before they could finish, Protoman pressed his questions.

"Programming is all fine and dandy… but…"

…

"… As an official I would like to know how you came across the ability to control multiple viruses… not even the best programmer could come up with something to pull off an ability of that magnitude." Chaud circled the table at which Roane sat. "There's only one place I could think of…"

"I bought it from a salesman in… the Undernet…" He didn't get a chance to continue.

"Undernet, eh? It is illegal for citizens to travel there in the first place, but you also bought something from its black market system? You were breaking laws left and right, do you realize that?!" Chaud was moving in as he pounded Roane with his harsh tone.

"Chaud, go easy…" Chaud turned to Lan's father.

"Dr. Hikari, I don't see how you can be so lax about this…"

"Chaud, give it a rest, you are being harder on him than you need to… if you really are harboring animosity for your failures against his plans, then leave to cool down somewhere. The way I see it, you are violating one of the most important rules of being an official, which is not to let your emotions spurn your actions." Chaud listened as his own rulebook was read to him. He grunted angrily in defeat, again.

"Fine! You ask the questions then!" He walked to the door and leaned up against it, as if ready to storm out at any moment's notice. Maylu nudged Lan in the side and leaned over to his ear.

"This is a bit unreal… this kid must've really shaken Chaud's chain…" Lan quietly snorted as if trying to hold back a laugh.

"He's just pissed 'cause someone outwitted him… you should have seen him the first time I managed to beat him in a net battle… he's quite a sore loser…"

"Anyway…" Yuuichiro's questioning resumed, reclaiming the attention of the whispering duo. "So you bought a virus control program… not many of those in the world… most of them were lost with the net terrorism organizations that created them…"

"Yeah…" Roane spoke up. "He claimed to have scavenged it… of course I have no idea how he really got it… It isn't smart to trust under navis…" Yuuichiro sighed.

"Well, if that's the case we're done here… Anything you haven't told us? There was no one in this with you right?" Roane nodded.

"Yeah… it was all supposed to show people what I could do… but… I went way over board…"

"You do realize there will be serious consequences for all of this…" Yuuichiro's voice was serious and unwavering.

"Yes..." The door suddenly slammed and Chaud was no longer in the room.

_Not very classy Chaud…_ Lan sighed.

…

"I know we'll have to pay for what we did… but I only wanted to help Roane… my only regrets were that I did such awful things to help him…" Dagger turned to Megaman and Roll. "I know I deserve absolutely no forgiveness from you… and I don't expect you to give me any… that's fine… I have no right to any…"

"Dagger… you will have to pay for what you've done…" Megaman began. "But… you were only doing what we navis are made to do… assist our operators in any way we can… in a sense, what you did was not wrong… just the way you followed through was…" Two officials stepped up to the force field and deactivated it, cuffing Dagger with force bands.

"I cannot forgive you…" Roll began as they prepared to move him to common confinement. "But… I too would do anything for my operator… so I guess I can say…" She looked away from him. "…That I understand…" Dagger didn't respond or look up, but the look in his downturned eyes suggested that he felt better from Rolls words. The silence remained as Dagger obediently followed the officials out.

…

"We've already phoned your parents… they are on their way to pick you up…" Roane kept his eyes towards the ground, his bangs shielding the guilt in his eyes from all the others. Yuuichiro handed him his Pet. "The transfer function has been disabled, you've been given a standard navi who is only programmed to send and receive email and phone calls. Dagger will be held here in the Scilab detention cells for the duration of your probation." Yuuichiro was only going through the motions, but Lan and Maylu could both see that the kid was not listening. What was only a little bit of fun and a little bit of desire turned into a situation he quickly lost control of. The consequences had finally caught up with him, and now he had to face them. Eventually Yuuichiro finished the explanation and stood up. "Come on… I'll take you to the lobby…" With that, Roane stood up, gaze still fixed on the ground. Yuuichiro opened the door and Roane exited. Yuuishiro glanced at Lan and Maylu momentarily before sighing and following Roane out. The door shut behind him, leaving Lan and Maylu alone.

"Well… looks like that's that…" Maylu began. "The Shadow Syndicate was all a hoax… a bit of a letdown… but also relieving to know it wasn't another worldwide threat…" Lan nodded in agreement.

"I thought I'd be angrier… but… I can't feel it…" Lan began as he stared at the door.

"Well it was the same way with Sean… once we heard his story we found it hard to be angry at him…" Maylu glanced at Lan, who hadn't taken his eyes off the door. "People have their reasons for what they do… no matter who they are… but…" Lan turned to her.

"No. People have reasons for what they do, yes… but from there it is whether or not they apply those reasons correctly… Roane did not… he took his desire for respect from those around him and ultimately made the wrong decision by using the wellbeing of others to fuel his ambition." Lan looked forward and sighed. It was the same with Sean as well… not to mention Wily and Regal…" She smirked at him.

"Someone's been practicing." She commented while nudged him on the shoulder. "You sound like an old wise man."

"Aw, c'mon… I'm not that great." He chuckled.

…

From inside Maylu's Pet, Megaman and Roll watched their operators.

"Oh she is **TOTALLY** into him! She needs to stop lying through her teeth…"

"Yeah… I guess…" Megaman rubbed the back of his helmet nervously. Roll glanced at him, confused.

"What's wrong Mega? You look a bit flustered." He quickly threw his hands out in front of him, shaking them back and forth.

"No, no, no… I'm alright… I'm just a little antsy… I was all geared up and ready for another long challenging battle, and it turned out to be a joke…" Roll crossed her arms and sighed.

"Yeah I know… I was kind of itching for a fight as well… but… like you said, it ended abruptly."

"Part of me is kind of relieved though…"

"Why is that?" She questioned, leaning her weight onto one leg, tilting her head to the side.

"Well… for one, we didn't have to fight a long and grueling battle, but mostly I'm happy that no one will be put in danger now." He saw her reaction coming from more than a mile away.

"You think I can't protect myself?" Megaman couldn't help but chuckle as he fell back towards her bean bag chair. Roll shot him a look mixed with annoyance and confusion. A squeak came from behind Megaman as he landed softly.

"Oops…" He leaned forward slightly and Mouse jumped out from behind him, giving Megaman a little glare as he regained himself. "Sorry little guy… didn't see you there." Mouse's expression switched to a cheerful one as he jumped into Megaman's lap and settled himself. Megaman looked back up at Roll to meet her slightly angered stare, quickly reminding him of a moment ago. "Roll… I know well that you are fully capable in combat…" Roll was immediately surprised by how he answered. Usually when she got annoyed by him he would frantically correct himself, but this time he was so calm and collected. Further interested by his behavior, she lowered herself down beside him on the chair, making sure to keep an adequate amount of distance to keep the awkwardness away.

"Then why?" She questioned with her normal tone back. Megaman wasn't going to lie to himself. Her sudden movement right beside him was unexpected, but welcome. Without letting the moment break his composure, he answered her.

"I care about those who fight alongside me as well. Just because they can fight doesn't mean they won't come to harm during battle. The same goes for me. I guess the best way of putting it is that I fear I might miss a chance to protect them if they fall into danger… I've always felt this way, even as they fight beside me, I'd do anything to prevent harm that may come to Gutsman, Glide, Iceman, Protoman, and especially you." Megaman obviously hadn't realized what he had said. It wasn't until he glanced towards her and saw her blushing madly that two and two came together. "Uh… that is… I mean…"

"Especially… me…?" She repeated slowly as she kept her eyes locked on him. The look in her eyes was almost mesmerizing to him. He had never seen it before, and wasn't quite sure what to call it. She almost seemed dazed. Recalling his past discoveries and his discussions with his brother, he decided it was time to be more of a man, so he didn't wave it off, he didn't stutter, swallowing his anxiety he stayed on the point.

"Y…yes…" Just when he thought she couldn't turn any redder she did. He cleared his throat and continued. "I… care a lot about you…" Every word was on the verge of crashing and burning before they left his mouth, but he held on and kept going. "I… don't think… there's anything I… wouldn't do… to protect you…" He could feel his face heat up, he was pretty sure he was blushing now. He felt like he was taking leaps and bounds and backed into a corner at the same time. Roll on the other hand was in a state of complete bliss. Where Megaman was and who she was looking at, she wasn't sure. It was almost a dream, too good to be true, only to be torn apart as one awakens. She could only say one thing in response.

"Mega…" Her hands had rocketed to her face, trying to contain the intense heat in her cheeks. "Do you… really mean it…?" She scooted closer to him. He was on automatic fire now. Everything was turning like a wheel and he wasn't about to hit the brakes.

"I… meant every word…" Neither was moving intentionally… the space between them just seemed to slowly disappear. When there was no room left between them, they began leaning in.

_Oh my god… oh my god… please… oh please… do not let this be a dream…!_ Roll closed her eyes and continued leaning.

_This… this is what I… really want…_ He let his eyelids fall. Both let their feelings guide them as they slowly but surely closed the space between each other all together.

Their lips met, caressing each other's lightly as it became a true and real kiss. To them it was both something unexplored yet something desired, the end results were far beyond what both had expected. The feelings that shot through them both were far beyond anything they had felt for each other in the past. Casual hellos, friendly conversations, tackling hugs… they all seemed to disappear into the wind as one moment of passion and ecstasy covered the rest with a looming shadow. Megaman was so proud of himself he could almost shout out, of course he didn't so as not to ruin the moment. A tear fell down Roll's cheek, one of utter happiness. She was pretty sure that she had never felt better in her entire life. They slowly, but reluctantly, released each other. Only an inch apart, they stared right into each other's eyes. Both had absolutely nothing on their mind. It was as if they knew nothing else was worth thinking about as they reveled in the aftermath.

"Mega…" Roll's voice automatically released his name. She was in never land, barely in her own head. But Megaman suddenly felt something. Something he couldn't describe. It came from deep inside him; it felt as though it was growing. If anything, he began to panic.

_Wha…what is going on…? What am I feeling…? This… I don't know…!!_ Megaman suddenly jerked away from her, panting. This snapped her from dream land in an instant. She blinked twice then fixated her eyes on him.

"M…Mega?!" He stood up quickly from the chair, toppling Mouse out of his lap.

"I…I-I-I…" He stuttered violently. "I HAVE TO GO!" He shouted as he transferred himself back to his Pet.

"Mega?!?! MEGA! WAIT!" She extended her arm out towards where he had disappeared. "……………wait………" she let the arm fall limp. She stared forward. _What… what happened… He… he looked like something was bothering him… did something happen after we… kissed…?_ The last word of her thoughts remained plastered in her mind. _Kissed…_ She touched her index and middle fingers to her lips and brushed back and forth across them. The blush had not faded from her face as the recent memory continued to linger with no end in sight.

Back in his Pet, Megaman cursed and swore as he punched the walls of his Pet. _What the HELL!! Why!? Why did I run away?!?! God dammit! _He kicked a cyber chair over. _Shit… I was on the verge of something… something new, something I was sure I wanted… but as it built up… it felt so… so… well… it didn't feel wrong… it just felt… odd… I wasn't sure I was ready for it… but…_ He picked up the chair and placed it back upright, falling into it and removing his helmet in one motion. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, bringing his right hand up to rub his forehead. _But… I… kissed her… I'm not sure how I managed it… the movement was almost… natural… like it was meant to be… Aw son of a BITCH! Why did I run!? This could have been the start of something… now it could be further apart… _He removed his hand from his forehead and smacked himself in the head. _You fool… you idiotic… incompetent fool…_ He let out a tired and exasperated sigh as he glanced towards the screen at Lan and Maylu…

…

"A wise old man huh…? With what I've been through… I might as well have aged a hundred years by now…"

"Oh really?" She questioned. He stood up and stepped towards the door.

"Sometimes I feel as if I've already lived multiple lifetimes… Once all the high scale net-terrorism was put down for good… I finally got to relax…" He leaned up against the wall. "When this whole charade began, I found it odd how naturally I flowed into handling it… it startled me a little."

"Well you **are** Lan Hikari, savior of the world… oh!" She clamped her hands over her mouth as his hand balled up into a fist against the wall. _I forgot how he is with that stuff…_ "Sorry…"

"Huh? Nah… it's not that…"

"What is it then?" She stood up and leaned next to him.

"Sometimes I feel people would believe that I am too risky with my own life." He turned so that his back was against the wall. She frowned and mirrored is movement towards the wall before responding.

"Some say that life is the most precious treasure one could ever hold onto… Living life to its fullest till the day you die is the only way to make use of such a valuable thing…" Lan smiled and turned to her.

"Well I say screw 'em." Maylu turned to look him in the eyes, a bit surprised. "I don't care what others think… and life is a treasure to be built upon, not held down… I plan to live forever…"

-Part 1 concluded-

---To Be Continued---

* * *

Oh dear... Megaman screwed up. Ah well, with whats in store in the near future, he may or may not have to think about it for a while. Something has been going on under the noses of the entire world, what could it be? What will happen? One thing's for sure... ... ... ... You'll have to wait to find out! (I'm evil)

So yeah, i have to stick to my schedule of double stories, meaning golden sun comes next before i get back to this, i have no idea how long it will be, but my GS chapters have been shorter than these, so there is no doubt work on the next chapter shall commence soon.

As usual (I'm a broken record XD) I would like to extend my deepest thanks and gratitude to all those who read and/or review my writing... you guys/gals are the greatest!

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!


	6. Broken so Easily

Ah... it's finally done. So little time to write in college... my classes this year have been twice as demanding than last year, and i'm only in the first semester. But i have about 45 minutes to write in between my 2nd and third class every monday tuesday wednesday and friday, so i'm making the most of that little time i'm given.

Anyway, here is The sixth installment and first chapter of the second story arc of Love Knows No Limit

Story

"talking"

_thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me talking)

I hope you're ready for the unexpected...

* * *

The Netopian national airport; the central hub of world transportation and probably the busiest place on the planet. Day in and day out it is common to spot celebrities, government officials, and other famous, recognizable people in this cornerstone of national connection. Today was a special day however. A whole section of the airport was cleared out for the arrival of three personal jets. Each jet hailed from a different country. One from Electopia, one from Sharo, and one from Creamland. On board, each plane carried a high ranking official from their respective country. Their expected arrival times were all on the dot, about ten minutes between each one. Once, the final plane had landed from Creamland, the three officials approached one another. The Electopian official bowed to them, he was a short man with carefully prepared black hair, wearing a brown suit and tie with a pair of kakis.

"Greetings, my fellow officials, I trust your flights went well?" The Sharo official nodded in agreement, his attire was the typical attire of a Sharo soldier, the green trench coat, green slacks, and of course, the red cap atop his buzz cut of light brown hair.

"As smooth as a freshly paved road, comrade."

"We shouldn't delay then…" The Creamland official spoke up; she wore a lavender dress suit and a pair of red high heels. She wore earrings with Creamland's national symbol on them which were slightly concealed by her long blond hair, put back in a ponytail.

"Agreed." The other two replied in unison. With the pleasantries concluded, they made their way through the airport under intense supervision of security, a limousine awaiting them at the drop off loop. Their destination? The executive building of Netopia. Their purpose? The annual meeting between the president of Netopia and representatives of the other major countries in order to promote peace and trust between the nations.

The president of Netopia was probably the most powerful man in the world. Thankfully, the position was decided through popular vote, which ensured that just and honest people were chosen for the role. As the three representatives arrived, the president himself made his way to the large meeting room where they would sit at a round table to discuss the well being of the world. The table had four seats, each marked for their specific owner. They were all identical, comfy, black leather arm chairs, except for The presidents, which was a red leather swivel arm chair, that sat right in front of a tall window, the only one in the room. Light from the mid afternoon sun shone through the pane, casting a dim light over the president's chair, and lighting the room slightly for a "late-in-the-day sort of mood. The representatives were in place, and awaited the president. He appeared in a doorway opposite to where the others had entered. His demeanor was inspiring. Tall, black suit, red tie, a soft smile, a head full of short black hair, ovular shaped glasses, and a twinkle in his eye that made one believe on spot that he was a great man.

"Welcome my fellow politicians! It is an honor to meet with you all today." He took his spot in the head seat of the round table. "Before we start, I see we have a new face… I've met with Hanji and Comrade Ivan before…" he glanced towards the Electopian and Sharo delegates. "I do not believe we've met…" He eyed the Creamland official. She stood and bowed politely.

"I am Serena Ray…" She quickly sat back down.

"Well then… welcome Miss Ray, I'm sure you know me, I'm Richard Hall. It is a pleasure to have you with us." She nervously nodded and stared straight across the table at Ivan, who was smirking at her tenseness.

"Shall we begin?" Hanji said, earning agreement from the rest.

"So…" Richard spoke first. "How goes internet security around the globe?" Serena spoke up very quickly, perhaps in her nervousness.

"Creamland's main security firewall remains un-breached… we've had clear skies in terms of virus activity as well."

"I wish it were that easy for Sharo…" Ivan spoke out.

"It's not like the Sharo security is bad…" Serena spoke up again. "It's just… despite being one of the world most powerful nations… Creamland itself is rather small."

"No worries comrade… I was not taking offense. But be as it may, even though we have too large a country for such a security type, we've had little problems in terms of viruses."

"I'm glad to hear that." Richard commented as he took his turn. "Netopia has had an incident or two… but nothing on the scale of net-terrorism. Anything that began was put down fast and hard." Richard concluded his short report, but turned to Hanji, slightly confused. Hanji himself had his hands intertwined in front of his face with his elbows supporting him on the table. "Hanji? You've been awfully quiet."

"Hm…?" Hanji perked up, startled. "Oh… sorry… I was just thinking of the best way to put this…" He leaned back in his chair and scratched his head. "We had a huge security problem for a few days… but in the end it was just a massive embarrassment…" He paused momentarily, giving Ivan a chance to jump in.

"I heard about that… something about Electopia's finest security programs being pushed around by some little kid?" Richard raised an eyebrow at the comment and shifted back to Hanji, who was waving a hand out in front of him.

"Well yes… that's true… but once he was caught… we learned he was more advanced than some of our top Scilab scientists in terms of programming… Thankfully, our famous saviors got mixed up with him and put an end to it…"

"Lan Hikari and Chaud Blaze?" Serena cut in. "If they had to step in, then I can understand why you had a hard time…"

"Yeah… even they couldn't do it alone; a few other navi's helped them... it was just last night actually, well… for our time zone anyway, just this morning for you." Richard smiled as Hanji completed his explanation.

"Lan Hikari and Chaud Blaze… I've never had the pleasure of meeting them…" He turned his chair to face the window and gazed out towards the courtyard, bathed in the light of a sun, soon to be setting. "The world is lucky to have brilliant youth such as them… Not just in Electopia… but in Sharo, Creamland, and here in Netopia…" He turned ninety degrees, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, intertwining his fingers just below his nose. "Without them… who knows how our lives would be right now? We may be politicians, but that only goes so far." He swerved his chair so he was once again facing the officials. "We make the laws… govern the people… symbolize our countries… but we are brought together like this through the efforts of these kids who have saved the world time and time again..." He leaned back, his chair creaking slightly as the chair pushed back against him. He sighed heavily then glanced between all of them. "Before the WWW made its first move… the world itself was not on the best of terms… we had debates… we had disagreements… resource hording… land struggles… power struggles… from time to time we were on the brink of conflict… … but these kids showed us that the world needs to be united… to prevent those who harm us from doing just that…" A smile spread over his face. "But I am glad for them… Seeing these young people help shape our world… has given me confidence for our future… it is because of them that we come together, and because of them that the world is at peace…"

Hanji, Ivan, and Serena all listened to him intently. Ivan smirked to himself.

_He is a great man… one truly fit for his position…_

Serena was day dreaming with his speech in mind.

_He's just as great as the Princess said…_

Hanji couldn't help but feel motivated.

_He is a man of such high status and power yet he is passionate about what is best for the world… as long as he's around… there will be a future for our children to mold…_

Suddenly the door burst open. A short man, wearing a brown suit, with short black hair and a moustache stormed in with many papers in hand.

"Mr. President! The deadlines on these reports have been moved up… we need to…" He stopped dead in his tracks; he glanced around, seeing the officials from different countries. His expression turned to anger as he scoffed and promptly left as quickly as he came. The three officials were all bewildered as to what had just happened. Richard only sighed.

"Please excuse Dimir… He's the Vice President… a very well practiced politician, but despite the state of peace with the world, he does not trust other countries…"

"How so?" Ivan was curious to know.

"To be honest… even though the world is tightly knit at the present, political debates still rage on in our senate… there are those who trust the stability of the world treaty, and those who believe it is unstable. Being the largest economic capital of the world is a daunting position to be in. Foreign trade and foreign interaction has still yet to sit well with a large number of our legislative authority. Dimir is the biggest cause of this."

"Why not do something about him then?" Serena questioned.

"Things work differently here… In Creamland… Princess Pride makes all the decisions right?" Serena nodded and he continued. "Even as President of Netopia, I cannot forcefully drive him away if I felt it was necessary. He was elected the same way I was… through vote. So to try and be rid of him would be to go against the very system I represent. Due to all this, Dimir is always voicing his opinion on other countries and how they are not trust worthy…"

"The double edged sword of free speech, comrade…" Ivan cut in. Richard nodded in response.

"It is a blessing and a curse. One can speak freely what he thinks and believes, but that can promote discord… thankfully Dimir isn't in my spot… I'd hate to see the world connection crumble… Ah well… the only ways for him to come to power are to be elected, or for me to die in office, and both of those are highly unlikely… his current views have not been overly popular… and I'm as healthy as ever." He joked at the end. A brief silence overcame the group. "Well I believe that we must bring this to a close… I thank you all dearly for coming today…" He pulled out a Pet. "This meeting was recorded for archival purposes… feel free to plug into the table and download it if you wish." Agreement was unanimous as the three officials retrieved their Pets and plugged their navis into the table's computer.

In the table comp. Three navis touched down. Hanji's was a blue colored normal navi, with Electopia's emblem on his chest. Serena's a pink custom navie with long lavender hair in a ponytail. Ivan's navi was a robotic style custom navi. Large and brute like, but was designed to look as though he was wearing a Sharo soldier uniform. They all approached the program and downloaded the data as they were ordered. As they turned to leave, Ivan's navi glanced towards a data block and stopped moving. Hanji's navi became curious and questioned him,

"What's wrong?" Ivan's navi narrowed his eyes for a moment, but shook his head.

"Nothing comrade… my sensors are very sensitive, it's probably just another program…" He shrugged and continued towards the portal leading back to their Pets. As the other two followed him, a figure peeked over the data block.

"Heh heh… got them…"

…

…

…

Richard accompanied the officials back to their limousine, which would take them back to them first to an officials meeting and then back to the airport. He exchanged farewells and handshakes formally with a smile of content, believing that today's meeting went well. As he watched the limo drive off, he heard footsteps from behind him.

"Mr. President…" He knew that voice.

"Yes Dimir? Is this about those papers? I can take them now…" Dimir huffed a grunt of annoyance.

"Don't worry, they're all on your desk… I took the liberty of organizing all of them while you had your little chat with those punks…" Richard turned to him sternly.

"Dimir, I've told you again and again that you need to learn to trust different people. The reason we are at peace right now is because we all work together."

"I'm not saying I hate peace…" He retaliated abruptly. "I just think you are a little too lackadaisical about it. We are the most powerful country in the world! What makes you think no one would ever want to challenge that title?"

"Dimir that's enough. We may be a powerful nation, but we do not flaunt it as a sign of undeserved praise. I know you and I agree on one thing… and that is the well being of our nation depends on our standing in the world. We have different ways of going about it, but in the end we both have the safety of the world as our top priority."

"As you say. It is the reason I campaigned as your vice president is it not? You've proven yourself to be probably the best leader Netopia has ever had, and true world peace is practically in our grasp… I just have trouble trusting foreigners… I've always had. I only have the country's well being in mind." Richard approached him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Then there's place to start. Next time we have a world meeting, you should sit in." Richard removed his hand from his shoulder and walked back into the executive building. Dimir stood still for a while, lost in thought.

_It is true; he is probably the greatest leader in Netopian history... And I respect him greatly for it… I just… don't understand how he can be so careless around foreigners… they could be plotting against us for all we know, but he welcomes them in…_ Dimir sighed, rubbing his temples in his indecisiveness before turning to follow Richards's footsteps.

…

…

…

"And that's all of them." Richard set the final paper atop the stack, clicking his pen before setting it down in the pencil cup. He glanced at his watch. 7:30. _Everyone should be leaving now…_ He stood up from his chair and exited his office, making his way down the hallway to the elevator. _It's been a long day… a lot of stuff on my mind…_ The elevator closed and began its descent from the tenth floor, where his office alone was located. _I'm sure it will all work out… a bright future is just ahead… all we have to do now is reach out and grab…_ The elevator suddenly lurched and came to a halt between the eight and seventh floor. _Ah great… a power outage?_

…

In the security center, warning lights were flashing all over the place. A security worker frantically typed away at the console trying to diagnose the problem. A high security official ran up to him.

"What's going on? Your console is going nuts!"

"Sir we've had a security breach! Someone has made it past our level thirty firewall!"

"What?! That can't be!"

"Whoever they are, they've accessed the master control mainframe… they'll have complete control of the system in minutes!"

"Keep an eye on it!" He pulled a pet from his waist and entered a few operations before speaking into it. "Attention all net security officers in the area! Plug into the system and head for the master control system! This is not a drill! Priority one! Go!" Then as he had told the others to do, he found a port and plugged his navi into the system. A standard Netopian high security navi, tall build, green armor piece and a Netopian security logo on his helmet, touched down in the system, soon joined by others. They dashed towards the mainframe, passing firewall after firewall, all shattered as if made of thin glass. They burst into the system's core and glanced all about. Panels were placed all over the room, each with a different control for the singular systems of the building. They all scanned the room until they lay eyes on one panel that was being occupied by a small group.

"FREEZE!" Yelled the navi on point as they all materialized busters on their arms. They were too far away to see who was at the panel clearly, so they advanced until they were about ten yards away, fixating their busters on the three figures that stood in front of the control system. They all turned slowly to face the security force…

…

…

…

"Wow that meeting was long…" Serena yawned as she rested her head against the side of her seat.

"Long but necessary comrade… keeping the peace is no cakewalk." Ivan sat upright in his seat, keeping the demeanor that came packaged with his job description. A beep came from Hanji's pet.

"What is it Jet?"

"File downloads are complete, shall I play them back or restore them?" The navi motioned his hand towards the playback files of the two meetings.

"Store them for now."

"Yes sir." The blue navi did as he was told. Hanji looked up to see Ivan speaking to his navi in a bit of a hushed tone.

"Picked up something?"

"Yes sir… although it may have been just another program in the area…" Ivan's face scrunched together slightly.

"Well I hope it was… you should have let me know."

"I apologize sir… it was such a faint reading I thought not of it." The navi stood attention as if waiting for a punishment.

"At ease Drago… I trust your actions." Serena had listened in, and pulled her pet to her face. Her navi was sorting through files. She was about to ask her about what Drago had mentioned, but decided against it.

_If Drago barely picked it up then Liz sure didn't… I'm so tired… _She yawned and rubbed her eyes with her free hand as she set the Pet back down. The limo pulled up to the airport.

"Time to part ways comrades…" Ivan stood from the limo, waiting for the others to emerge before they exchanged final farewells and broke off to their planes.

…

…

…

"What?! You… you guys are…" The security guard at point wasn't sure what to make of the situation. There in front of him stood three navi's all of which had been seen on security footage not o long ago. "The navi's of the foreign officials?!" He glanced back and forth at all of them. It had to be them. A blue normal navi, a large bulky navi with Sharo soldier Attire, and a Pink Navi with lavender hair. "What's going on?! Why and how have you broken into our main system?" As he pointed his buster at Drago in the middle, the rest of the squad followed by taking aim.

"Such a feeble system could be cracked by a fly, comrade." This made no sense to the security force. Was this… a planned invasion?

"In fact…" All the busters flew to Jet. "Look what we've snared!" A view screen popped up to show Richard, stuck in the elevator, leaning against the wall while twittling his thumbs, waiting for the elevator to move again.

"Ah! Mr. President!!!"

"A man of such power and symbolism…" Liz crossed her arms over her chest. The security team frantically aimed for her as she took a step forward, the navi on point kept sporadically switching his target between the three.

"I don't understand! What are you doing?"

"Watch closely… Netopia has been the dominant power in the world for years has it not? Well…" She stepped towards the control panel. "Sometimes, such high and mighty things…" She pressed a button. "Can be so easily destroyed…"

…

…

…

The lights flickered as the elevator car buckled. Richard was caught by surprise, stumbling slightly from his spot on the wall.

"Jeez… took them long enough…" Suddenly the elevator creaked loudly and buckled again the lights flickering. "What…? What's going on?" Faint cracking noises were heard, coming from below towards the elevator car. As they grew closer, Richard picked them out as being the sound… of the elevator resistance brakes all releasing. He looked around as the sound of the brakes popping reached the car and stopped. The lights all came on. The elevator chimed as the down arrow illuminated.

Rishard froze momentarily. Eyes staring straight at the arrow pointing downward.

"Bloody hell…" Was the last thing he said. The elevator released from its spot… but without the resisters, the elevator plummeted like a rock. Seventh floor, sixth floor, fifth floor, fourth floor, they all past in less than a second each. The lobby of the capital building was bustling as usual, but the flow of the normal work day was shattered as an ear piercing crash pulsated throughout the entire building.

…

…

…

The navi's all stood in shock at the sight of what just happened.

"YOU BITCH!!!!" The navi behind the point man fired a blast straight for Liz, which was reflected right back at the force by some odd yellow barrier. In attempt to dodge the re-incoming projectile, the navi's leaned backward, knocking each other all down into a heap on the floor.

"Such an awful thing to call a lady…" Jet put his hand down as the barrier dissipated. "I'm sorry to leave after we made such an impact on our country's futures… but we have to get back to our operators…"

"Our orders have been fulfilled comrades… may our countries prosper without this worn out nation in the way!" Drago exclaimed as they all disappeared in the light of their respective colors.

The point navi tumbled off the pile and fell to his hands and knees.

"RAAAA!!!!!" He growled as he pounded his fist into the ground.

…

…

…

"*Cough* *Cough* WHAT WAS THAT?!?!" Someone near the elevators yelled out as people all ran from every corner of the lobby floor to see what the loud noise was.

"Oh GOD! The… The elevator crashed!!!"

"Let me through, LET ME THROUGH!!!" A voice called from the back. Dimir stumbled forward through the crowd, breaking into the open. "What the hell happened?!?!" Suddenly a security team burst into the lobby, actively clearing a path through the crowd. As the head of security found his way to the center. He stopped cold as he lay eyes on the wreckage. The gold plated doors had been split, shrapnel and other metallic debris lay strewn about, and a large pile lay right in the elevator shaft, with what seemed to be a severely crushed elevator car. The security head fell to his knees.

"No… No, no… it can't be…" Dimir ran up to him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"WHAT? WHAT IS IT? WAS THERE SOMEONE IN THERE?" Dimir was red in the face.

"The… Th…th…" Dimir tightened his grip on the collar, his expression demanding an answer. "The… the… pr…pres…ide…" Dimir's grip on the collar released in an instant. He too was solitified as he slowly turned to face the wreckage.

"What……? You… You can't be serious…" in a sudden fit of panic that rushed upon him faster than a bullet, he ran up to the debris. "MR. PRESIDENT!!!!!! MR. PRESIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENT!!!! RICHARD!!!! ANSWER ME!!!!!!" No response came. But his frantic yelling and the subject of his cries registered with the crowd. Gasps and screams spread throughout the crowd as the entire room became aware of what had happened. Dimir broke down, falling to one knee, banging his hands against the pile of metal and stone until his hands became bloody. "Who… WHO…!? Who would do this?!?!" He pounded once more against the immovable pile. "Who and WHY…!?" Another security guard stepped forward and put his hand on Dimir's shoulder…

"Sir… come with us…" It took three guards to pull Dimir from his spot. The rest of the security team pushed people on their way to make room for the police as they entered. Dimir was led into a security briefing room; his escorts sat him down in a chair before retrieving bandages to wrap around his bloodied hands. A screen appeared from the wall. "Seeing as how you will probably be president now…" Dimir cut him off abruptly.

"You throw it on me so quickly?! DO YOU EVEN CARE THAT WE JUST LOST OUR LEADER?!" The men attending to his hands stepped back slightly, afraid of his tone.

"Sir…" The guard scratched his head. "If everyone broke down and started crying on the spot… then all would go to hell… we've been trained to handle this sort of thing in a professional matter… believe me… There will never be a man as great as Richard… but… you have to take his place now… so…" He activated a video file. "I think you should see this…"

The video played back. It was a direct camera feed from the main control core. Dimir witnessed all of it, the hijacking, the foreign navis, the control panel, and the button that ended it all. When the video concluded, the lights went back up.

"Well then…" The security guard turned to him. "What should we do……… Mr. President?" The guard took a step back as the color of Dimir's eyes nearly changed to a fiery red. His body was evidently tense, and his expression was one of pure disgust and hatred. "Sir…?" The guard hesitantly asked again. Then Dimir began to ramble to himself.

"So… they think they got us huh? … They think we'll topple that easily huh? … they think we're just gonna let this SLIDE?!?!" He stood up in his seat. "Richard was the greatest man to ever have the privilege of promoting and keeping the peace!!! And now… out of envy and disdain for our countries prosperity and power… The three second rate countries who claim to be world powers have come to try and break us?!" He threw his hands into the air. The security guards were beginning to worry for their safety, they knew well of Dimir's ideals towards other countries. "Those damn foreigners!!!! This was their intention the whole time!!! I tried to warn Richard! But he was too soft! Too open!" He let his arms fall and the air around him almost seemed like that of a feral beast. "But not I… I cannot… I WILL not let this slide… THEY WILL KNOW THAT NETOPIA WILL NEVER FALTER!!!!!" The security guards had all been pushed to the wall. They too were angry at the sudden invasion… but to see the man replacing their leader like he was now, was a bit frightening… the world itself… was about to understand… just how fragile peace can be.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Aw MAN!!! I gotta hurry!!!" Lan darted past the front gate of the school, making a beeline for the front entrance.

"You know… you could've gone to Higsby's AFTER school…"

"Aw come on Megaman… I can still make it!" The navi sighed.

"Okay fine… you only have forty five seconds till the doors are locked though… so get moving!

"I already AM moving captain obvious!" Megaman's Pet almost buckled in Lan's belt pouch as Megaman fumed in his Pet.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!" Lan ignored him as he turned to corner and headed down the hallway with his classroom in the distance, only to trip and fall as he swung around.

"OW!!!" He grunted as he frantically rose to his feet.

"Times up… the doors will be closing now Lan…" Lan sighed as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"I shouldn't have taken that double or nothing bet with Maylu…" he grumbled as he trudged down the hallway towards his room.

"Huh? That's strange…" Megaman piped up.

"What now Megaman?" Lan questioned annoyed.

"Lan… the doors are still open…" Lan glanced around at his Navi's observation.

"Alright! Maybe the systems are malfunctioning!" He dashed towards his door, making it through with a large, content smile spread across his face. But then he looked around and saw no one was looking at him. In fact, everyone was looking at the TV screen in the classroom's ceiling corner. It was tuned to channel seven, the Electopian National News Network.

"Early this morning, tragedy struck the country of Netopia, as the President Hall was calling it a day and about to head home, only to have his office elevator hijacked… the controls were tampered with, and the elevator plummeted eight stories, resulting in catastrophic damage to the building itself, and, unfortunately, the death of the well known and well respected leader. The security feed caught the navi's who engineered the horrible act." A picture appeared beside the reporter. "These navi's took the appearance of the navi's belonging to the high ranking officials of Electopia, Sharo, and Creamland, probably as a disguise to bypass security. After questioning the owners of these navi's they all claimed that their navi's had been with them at the described time of attack. This information has been forwarded to Netopia, but we have yet to receive acknowledgement from Netopia's Vice President, Dimir Lewis, who was sworn in to presidency shortly after due to dire need of a leader in their current situation… We will keep you posted as more news unfolds on the matter." The screen shut off. The class remained silent, a few murmurs here and there, but nothing that Lan could hear clearly. He glanced over at Maylu, who was still staring at the blank screen, then around at the rest of his classmates.

_Whoa… the president of Netopia… was assassinated? And by navi's who took the appearance of high ranking officials from other countries…?_ He realized that he was still standing in the doorway, and quickly made his way to his seat before the Mr. Takashi could turn around. _If I know Netopia, they'll get right on it… maybe I'll check in with Dad after school…_ Mr. Takashi finally faced the class.

"Well… that is… devastating news… Class I'm sure you all knew Richard Hall… he was probably the most important factor for achieving the world peace treaty… This is quite a shame indeed… but until we hear more news, there is no use sitting around and doing nothing… so please open up your desk computers. The class obeyed in silence as the quietest period of class in the school's history began.

…

…

…

The whole day pretty much continued the same way. Lan had never heard the school be so quiet before. It was a mixture of shock, disbelief, and worry. The worry factor was probably the heaviest. Netopia was a very powerful country, probably the most powerful in the world, and they had been attacked by navi's trying to frame the rest of the world. No news had been reported from Netopia, the air was becoming a bit tense. What would Netpoia do if they did not buy the world's claim of innocence? If Richard Hall were still in charge, he would trust us, that was for sure… but nobody had ever heard of this Dimir guy. So no one knew what to expect.

"Lan? Are you alright?" Lan snapped out of his thoughts just in time to dodge Maylu, whom he had almost ran right into, then gripped the railing to prevent himself from falling down the school steps.

"Wha!! Maylu, you scared me!" There was an obvious lack of ease in her expression.

"I was right I front of you… how could I scare you? Anyway, what took you so long? School got out almost half an hour ago… I think we're the only ones left."

"S…sorry… I've just got a lot on my mind right now…" He hung his head, sighing.

…

Roll entered the entrance pass code to transfer to Megaman's Pet, but it was denied… again. This was the third time she had tried, but it kept being rejected.

_Mega… why won't you let me in…? I… really want to see you…_

For inside his Pet Megaman kept intentionally rejecting the code from Roll.

_I'm sorry Roll… after that stupid stunt I pulled… I don't think I can face you right now…_ He sighed and sat down in a cyber chair as the code acceptance panel popped up again. Without looking at it he touched the reject option. _I need time to think…_

Roll frowned as once again as she was rejected.

_Is he… afraid of what happened? I mean… we DID kiss…_ She blushed at the thought. _But… something scared him off… does he… think I'm angry at him for it?_

…

"It's about Netopia isn't it?" Lan nodded slightly without raising his head.

"I don't know what's going to happen. This isn't like anything that's happened before…" Maylu leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know… I don't know how to take it either… but…" She adjusted her backpack and flashed a weak smile at him. "I'm sure they'll understand once everything is explained… I mean… we've been at peace for years, why would we suddenly want to break it? It just wouldn't seem reasonable." Lan contemplated her words as he turned and motioned to her to follow him towards the school gates.

"You're right… I know a lot of people over there… everything is going to be just fine…"

As soon as the words left his lips, a faint noise echoed in the distance. Lan looked around. "What is that noise?" The two of them stepped passed the school gates. The noise was getting louder… it almost sounded like the air being pierced or cut through by a blade. Then it hit him… "Is that… a jet?" Lan glanced up and saw what looked like a stunt jet streak across the sky. In its wake, it looked as though little specks were left behind every few meters, from this distance anyway. But then the specs grew larger almost as if it were something… falling. Lan's eyes grew wide and he grabbed Maylu by the wrist. "MAYLU GET DOWN!!!!" Lan pulled her to the ground as the objects collided with the ground, a line of explosions followed, tearing a line of destruction through the intersection no more than twenty feet away from them, and continuing in a line. Lan rolled around to look back up at the sky, another jet was heading towards them, this time right above them. Without saying anything, Lan grabbed Maylu by the waist, pulling her up off the ground.

"LAN WHAT'S GOING ON?!?!" She cried in horror. He didn't answer, he tugged her along, almost causing her to stumble and fall once or twice, he got as far away from the school as he possibly could, diving behind a bush with her in tow. Another line of explosions ripped through the town, this time colliding with the school as well. Lan peered over the bush, gawking at his high school which now was half torn apart and in rubble. Screams of fright erupted all around them as people began scrambling around. Maylu glanced over his shoulder at the school and gasped loudly before Lan pulled her back down for another streak of explosions.

"Those planes… They're dropping bombs!! What the hell?!"

"Lan! Lan!!!" Megaman called from his belt.

"WHAT!?" was the only reasonable acknowledgement he could think of.

"Those planes!!! I recognize them!!"

"Do you have a point Hub?! We're trying not to die at the moment!" This time Maylu pulled him down as another streak of explosions ripped across the ground, this time dangerously close to them. The shockwave threw them back from the bush as rubble flew everywhere.

"Lan! Those are Netopian B-23's!!!" Lan's eyes shot open as Megaman revealed this information to him. He was lucky that the sudden attack had subsided, because he was frozen in place.

"No… it couldn't be…"

"Laaaaaan!!! What is it!?" Maylu ran up to him and clung to his arm. "What's going on?!?! I'm scared!!" Lan couldn't even feel her clutching him. One thing popped into his head, in which he frantically responded to.

"MOM!" He turned so fast that Maylu's grip was wrenched free from him and broke into a sprint towards his house. Maylu regained herself as much as she could. Her legs were still shaking from the sudden traumatic event, but she wanted anything besides being alone at the moment… and the only person she felt she would be safe with was Lan, so her body moved on its own, taking off after him.

…

Lan breathed a heavy sigh of relief as his house came into view. Craters from explosions were strewn all over town, and by the smoke in the distance of every direction he looked he could tell that the damage was widespread, probably all over the country. Before bursting into his door he took a quick glance to his left and smiled thankfully that Maylu's house was intact as well. As he opened his door, Maylu ran into him from behind, knocking them both into the house.

"Ow! S…sorry Lan…" She quickly got off of him and helped him off the floor. "Don't just run off like that! Do you have any idea how frightening that was?!"

"Sorry…" He replied, scratching his head. "I just had to make sure that… MOM!!!!" He turned around, remembering what he had come for. He ran into the living room and nearly crashed onto the floor once he realized Haruka was alright.

"LAN! Oh thank goodness you're okay!!!" She ran up and hugged him tightly. Lan looked past her to see the telephone screen switched on, Yuuichiro on the video feed.

"Dad! You're okay too!" Yuuichiro nodded, but his expression was far from relieved.

"Lan… we may have a problem… one that's beyond serious…"

"Dad!" Megaman piped up. "Those were Netopian bombers!" Yuuichiro closed his eyes and nodded.

"You're right Hub… and that's why this is the worst possible scenario…"

"What do you mean?" Lan had advanced very close to the screen, desperate for some answers.

"Turn on the television… it's on every channel…" Haruka had the TV on before Lan could even look for the remote. It was already tuned to channel seven.

"… surprise attack on all regions of Electopia, Netopian B-23 bombers suddenly appeared in the skies overhead, carpet bombing several locations… many casualties have been confirmed, ranging in numbers that we do not feel comfortable reading to the public… Similar attacks have been reported from Sharo and Creamland as well as small countries around them. Contact was attempted with Netopia, but they have made no attempt to respond… we've only received this message from Dimir Lewis, the new President of Netopia…" The screen shifted to reveal Dimir standing in front of a podium; his face red with anger, the wood almost seemed to be splintering under the deathgrip he had on the podium. He stood silent for a moment, almost as if to take time to glare at all those who would be seeing the video, or to let them know he meant business.

"Attention all the scum of the world! All Netopia has ever done for you is provide a terminal for peace to prosper… yet in that time, Foreign trust was always on a paper thin line… easily broken by the slightest issue or misguidance… however, your true disdain for us has become apparent for us… in the blatant assassination of our leader… a man who trusted you more than I or anyone else ever could. You were afraid of our power, afraid of the control we were able to manufacture with your help. You haven't just broken that thin line of trust… you have obliterated it and crossed it so far that you thought it would cripple us…" His face scrunched even more, if even possible. "But you are mistaken! We bend, but we do not break! I hope our little "demonstration" to you has given you a nice preview of what will continue… and we will not accept pleas of forgiveness! You will all know that you cannot play with fire without being burned!" He pulled back from the camera, gathered himself, and suddenly seemed more professional. "The feelings of me and my country aside… time for the formal explanation…"

…

…

…

…

"Netopia… had declared war against the world!"

...

...

...

Love Knows No Limit

Written by: Flashgunner

Part 2: The Cruelty of War

Ch. 6: Broken So Easily

...

...

...

In less than twenty four hours… the world had changed drastically, and for the worse by countless factors. Electopia immediately set up defenses all over the country to prevent such an attack to happen again… but the damage had been done, it was soon found out that hundreds of people lost their lives that day, thankfully none of Lan's friends were hurt, but Yai's mansion was destroyed, and of course, many others had to mourn the loss of friends, family, and loved ones. Due to the damage and destruction, schools were closed. Not only that, but the Electopian, Sharo, and Creamland military had all mobilized and allied together to fight against Netopia. The surrounding countries also pitched in with their forces, allowing them to nearly match Netopia in military power. They weren't considered the most powerful country in the world for nothing. A large scale lockdown of the net was also initiated due to an outbreak of conflict on the network level as well, shutting down most communication and daily services. This was even more crucial than the battle in the real world. If Netopia were to break into the networks, they could destroy everything in one fell swoop. So… In other words, life had come to a halt.

As for the four friends… not even war was able to tear them apart. But, things were not the same; no one had ever thought such a conflict could ever happen. They had heard of great wars in the past during history classes and other information of the sort… but those were so long ago, none of them thought they would ever see such a thing in their lives. What a time for it to happen too, they were all just high schoolers after all, the point in one's life they never forget… but to have it turn out this way was beyond cruel.

With all services and general jobs on lockdown, reconstruction of Yai's mansion was put on hold due to the conflict. Her Father allowed her to stay at Maylu's house, believing that she needed her friends more than ever now. Sean's apartment was leveled during the attack, so Yuuichiro allowed him to stay at Scilab along with any other refugees until everything was rebuilt.

It had been a week since the war started. Due to the lack of communication and the limited amount of allowed outdoor activity, the four friends did not have a chance to get together or even leave their houses for that matter. Military personnel stationed in the country were in charge of providing food and other supplies for all the homes in order to limit the possibility of citizens being in the way of the military machinery should another attack slip past the defenses. When Sunday rolled around, Dex managed to sneak a messaged to the rest of them via a secure channel he hacked into. The plan was to sneak out early Monday morning and meet at his house. He felt as though they needed a chance to see each other again as soon as possible. So they followed through with the plan, all rising early on Monday and sneaking out, avoiding patrolling soldiers as they made their way to Dex's house. The trip was successful as Dex let them in through the back door.

"Hey…" was the only greeting they got from him as they all sat at the table in his kitchen. It was silent… none knew what to say.

"Where's Tory?" Sean questioned out of instinct. Dex shook his head.

"He's busy at the waterworks… apparently they were hit pretty hard…"

"I see…" More silence. What was there to talk about? Lan couldn't stand it anymore.

"Hey… guys… I… I know this is a rough time for us and all… but do we have to sulk?" Everyone shot him confused looks. "Okay fine, I can't lie by saying I'm not devastated by this… but we can be higher spirited than this! If anything it will help us get through all this crap!" He pounded his fist on the table inadvertently. Maylu seemed to understand him, she smiled weakly.

"Lan is right… I feel horrible right now… but we should at least still try to have fun while we're together…" Roll listened to her operator from the Pet. She couldn't agree more, in fact she felt as though she needed to. She wanted to see Megaman so badly, she could barely contain herself.

"Well, I guess you two have a point… come on, let's plug in our Pets into the phone system…" He pulled out his pet chord and reached for the telephone in the center of the table. The others followed suit… but right before they could follow through, heavy knocking rapped against the front door. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. "Crap! Everyone behind the kitchen wall! I'll deal with this." He was assuming a soldier might have seen them sneaking. So they all did as they were told while Dex approached the door and opened it casually. Who he saw surprised him. "Chaud?!"

"Chaud?" Lan repeated the name as he stepped around the corner to see his old rival standing in the doorway. Upon seeing Lan, Chuad let out an exasperated sigh.

"Breaking strict rules during a time of military lockdown… that's so like you Hikari…" Lan glared at him.

"Nice to see you too." Chaud allowed himself into the house. "I need to talk to you… it's important." Chaud was being straight to the point, but with less of a gruff "I-don't-want-to-be- around- you" sort of attitude, which was surprising to the rest to say the least. Without questioned they all emerged from behind the wall.

"You're **all** here? Good that makes this even easier." He made his way into Dex's living room and sat down in an easy chair. Everyone gathered around, making themselves comfortable.

"So…" Yai spoke up, startling Maylu, Yai had been extremely quiet the past few days, probably still traumatized by the loss of her home. "…Is there anything you can tell us?" She wasn't very specific, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what she meant. Chaud closed his eyes.

"I wish I knew all the details… but I do know that Netopia didn't believe us when we claimed that the officials were framed… whoever actually did assassinate the president of Netopia is at large and probably got just what they wanted… I've seen many kinds of net terrorism in the past… but I'd never thought I'd **ever** see something like this…" He opened his eyes and glanced around the room before continuing. If we could catch who's responsible, then maybe we can put an end to this…" Lan perked up at this. Chaud only shook his head when he saw Lan's reaction. "No Hikari… not this time…" Lan raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're not trying to snuff me out of this are you?" Chaud suddenly glared at him.

"Out of **WHAT**?! Lan, you've got to get you god damn mind straight!" He rose from the chair and angrily pointed at Lan. "We have nothing! Nill! **No FUCKING dice!** Whoever caused this conflict has disappeared behind the conflict they intended to create! Right now the world is at **WAR **for Christ's sake!!" Everyone was shocked by the sudden outburst from the usually calm and collected Chaud. The silver haired teen slumped back into his chair and put his hands over his face, rubbing his eyes slightly. "Sorry… things have been going to hell lately… I haven't even slept in the past few days…" He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. "The real reason I came here was not to give you false solutions or ideas… I came here a request."

"Request…?" Sean spoke up, still trying to figure out if this really was Chaud he was speaking to.

"Yes… and I'm not the one asking… I'm just passing it on. It's from Raika." Lan jumped at the name.

"Raika? From Sharo?"

"Searchman's operator?" Megaman followed up from his Pet. Chaud nodded.

"Precisely… As you may or may not already know… the war was been taking place on two fronts. The border of Sharo and Netopia… and the connection between the Networks of Netopia and Creamland… For a while, it had been a stalemate on both fronts. The netopian military has been reluctant to charge due to Sharo's advanced defense technology, and Creamlands strong net defenses have kept Netopian navi forces at bay… however…" Maylu felt her heart tighten. She was really hoping that Chaud was not about to say what she thought he would. "The tide has already been heavily swayed in Netopia's favor… High ranking Netbattlers from all over Netopia have joined the fight at the network level… most of which can use full synchro…" Maylu gasped silently. "Creamland's defenses are weakening. If they fall… regardless of how strong the Sharo and Electopian net militaries are combined… they will not be able to stop everything from pouring through… If Netopia gains control of the networks… then they can jam communications, disrupt military systems, and all together crush the opposition in the real world…" A hushed silence of fear washed over the group. "However…" Everyone snapped back to Chaud. "Raika has come up with a counter plan… to fight fire with fire." Maylu felt her hand shaking.

_He… he is going to say it… oh please no…_

"Lan Hikari… Raika is calling out to all the most skilled Netballters of Electopia, Sharo, and Creamland, along with any other nations who can provide… to join the network front and help defend…" Everyone gaped at what they had just heard. Lan? Go to war? They couldn't be serious; they were all still so young. Maylu was mortified, her body almost went numb, and she felt her stomach churning. They actually expected Lan and Chaud to fight in a war? Net terrorism is one thing… but this is nothing like that… they could be killed, not like they couldn't have before, but now it would almost be a guarantee. "Well…?" Maylu's eyes flew to Lan, would he do it? He can't. She might never see him again… and that would…

…

Megaman was staring at the floor. War? It was a foreign concept to him. He had never hesitated to fight in the past… he had always deleted criminals and terrorists in order to save people or to stop catastrophes… But now… If they went to war, he would have to fight against… and possibly delete navis that he would otherwise have been allies with… possibly even some navis that he had netbattled in the past… but whatever Lan decided, he would do… As his navi, and as his brother.

Roll on the other hand, was more devastated than her operator. She had already lost strength in her legs, sitting on the ground on her knees. Mouse walking circles around her, trying to figure out what was wrong. Megaman… leaving…? The two words circled round and round in her head like and out of control moon in orbit around its planet. She had always been with Megaman, she couldn't comprehend a world without him. Sure there had been times when he had been presumed deleted, but those always turned out all right within a few weeks or so. If he left… for war of all things… he really could never come back. The thought stabbed at her heart. Now more than ever she wanted to see him, but she didn't know why. To convince him not to go? Just to be with him? To tell him she loved him? She didn't even know why she wanted to anymore. Just the thought of him disappearing from her life was enough to fuel her to see him. But she was still frozen in place, waiting and hoping that Lan would not comply.

…

"Um…" The whole room went silent as if the entire world was waiting for his answer. "I…" He put a hand on his forehead, running it back through his hair, taking care to avoid messing up his headband. "I need to think about it…" Maylu's heart skipped a beat, but not in a good way, she felt faint, but slightly relieved that he decided to think it over. He would see the absurdity in it… right? Chaud obviously did not like the response but shrugged.

"Very well… three days from now, a few trains will be stopping at the metroline station here in ACDC since the Den City grand station was destroyed in the bombing. The metrolines have been connected to above ground railroads to make use of underground stations. These trains will be going in between Sharo and Electopia starting at eight that morning and for the next two days after that. I have some last things to take care of before I leave, so I will be taking the last train on Friday in the afternoon. Make your choice by then Lan…" He stood from his spot and headed for the door, but stopped as he rested his hand on the doorknob. "Hikari… this isn't just another conflict that can be settled by a netbattle… I don't expect this to be an easy decision for you… but… consider the consequences… should all fall through…" With that, he opened the front door, leaving without another word.

All eyes fell on Lan, he was staring at the ground, arms resting on the arms of his chair, slouched back. All around signs that he was confused and baffled by the decision he had to make. Dex for one was slightly annoyed. Why just Lan? Why didn't Chaud ask him as well? He would be just as willing to fight, but once again he was left out, brushed aside. He could almost hear Chaud taunting him in his mind. Telling him he would get in the way, be a liability, or it was for his own good.

"Lan…?" Yai spoke up, breaking Maylu from her thoughts, Dex from his internal anger, and Sean from his daze. Lan didn't move. He stayed still for another five minutes, with no one else daring to edge from their spot. "I don't know." Was all he said as he sat up and leaned back into the chair's cushion. Chaud's final words were echoing in his head.

_Consider the consequences… should all fall through… _

_Consider the consequences… should all fall through… _

_Consider the consequences… should all fall through… _

_Consider the consequences… should all fall through… _

_Consider the consequences… should all fall through… _

"Lan?" Maylu's voice. The words froze in place, no longer echoing as he met the frightened eyes of his long time friend,

_Consider…_

Eyes that were obviously afraid of what he might choose to do,

_The Consequences…_

But eyes that he had also come to like,

_Should all…_

Eyes he had come to protect.

_Fall…_

All together, a person that meant more than the world to him.

_Through…_

His expression seemed to harden as he turned away from her.

"I… need more time to think about this…" He rose from his seat and quickly walked through the living room. No one made an effort to follow him as he left the house through the back door.

…

…

…

…

Two days went by. Both days the friends all met just as they had the day before, sneaking around so as not to be spotted by the patrols. No one said anything to Lan about his choice. The first day after, he didn't say a word at all, but the second day it was almost as if nothing had ever happened. Lan was back to his normal upbeat self, and tried to lighten the mood as he had that day before Chaud arrived with the news. This of course lifted some of the unease. Most of them believed this meant that he decided to stay. Maylu wasn't so sure however.

Roll was also confused. Unlike Lan, Megaman had remained absolutely silent. He just sat, listening to the conversations while staring either straight forward or towards the floor. She tried once or twice to get his attention, but he never looked at her. She was beginning to secretly panic about everything. Even though Lan was showing signs of rejecting Laika's request, why was Megaman acting like this? Not only that but she wanted to talk to him; if he were to leave she would never get a chance if she didn't act fast. Alas, no matter what effort she made, he remained stoic. Normally this would piss her off, but under the current circumstances she knew that would be immature and stupid.

Maylu continued to inconspicuously observe Lan. There were two conclusions taking shape in her head. Either he had decided against going to war and regained his usual attitude… or he **had** decided to go and was taking the time he had left to have as much fun as he could. She hoped to god it wasn't the second. Besides, he would tell her anyway right? He would never leave her out… would he?

"Ah man look at the time…" Dex peeked towards his wall clock. It was six o'clock. "We better all beat it now…" They all agreed. If they waited any longer, they would never be able t make it back home. The night patrol used motion sensors, so even if they were hidden they would be caught. They snuck out Dex's back door again, and all went their separate ways. Lan Maylu and Yai broke off from Sean. As Lan turned towards his back yard, Maylu left Yai and followed him through the door of his backyard fence. He did not notice her following until,

"Lan…" He jumped, spinning around to see her behind him.

"Yeesh, don't scare me like that Maylu I thought I got caught or something… why did you follow me?" She didn't smile; she could barely look him in the eye. She could only speak.

"What… have you decided?" She managed to force out. The space between them became occupied by a long tedious silence. Lan stood still, the half smile still plastered on his face. He suddenly shrugged and grinned a little wider.

"Dunno!" He said almost in a cheerful tone. Maylu furrowed her brow and tried to speak up again. "You should get home. Don't want the night guards to catch you! See ya!" And he ran to the patio door, opening, closing, and locking it before she could follow him in.

"Lan!!!! LAN!!!!" She pounded on the door. When he didn't return or respond. She sighed, giving the ground below her a look of sorrow. She removed her hands from the door and slowly dragged herself towards the fence door. _The first trains come early tomorrow… if we meet again like we have I'll force it out of him… I MUST know…_

…

…

…

The next morning was the same as the last. Maylu rose early from her bed at seven, took a quick but relaxing shower, got dressed into a long sleeve green shirt and her pink skirt and long socks (picture her normal look without the vest and older of course. ~Flash.), and ate a quick breakfast. Yai had woken up about half an hour before her, leaving a note to let Maylu that she was already going to Dex's. She cursed as she ran upstairs, realizing she had left Roll on her desk. Roll was still asleep, but Maylu didn't wake her. Roll had had trouble sleeping the past few days, and no matter what Maylu tried, she would not speak about it. So she had given up on it, believing it to just be the mood of the conflict. Mouse was helmet down right beside her on the cyber bed. Maylu glanced upon the little virus…

_It's times like these I envy you Mouse… not a care in the world… whether or not we win or lose this war, you'll be fit as a fiddle either way…_

She snapped from her daydream, realizing she would miss her chance to slip past the guards if she didn't hurry. So she buckled her Pet to her waist and sped down the stairs. After a quick trip from bush to bush across town, she approached the back door of Dex's place and stopped, taking a few deep breaths.

_I have to get him to tell us… if he decides leave… I only have till tomorrow… _She opened the door. _**IF**__ that is the case… he'll definitely stay here for the day and plan on leaving late tomorrow… I've got to get him to talk by then… and if he says he's going I must convince him otherwise…_ She turned the corner into the living room. _So I have plenty of… _She glanced around the room. Everyone was there… except for Lan. _Time…?_ They all turned and looked at her, smiling to acknowledge her presence. Before anyone could speak up she threw out the question clawing at her head. "Where's Lan?" Dex shrugged.

"Good question… Although if you know him… he'll be late." But something didn't feel right. Maylu was already late… Lan, even though it was Lan, wouldn't be this late.

…

…

…

She froze. A cold shiver ran down her body. Out of nowhere a certain farfetched possibility had forced itself into her mind. She frantically hoisted her Pet up and checked the small clock in the screen corner. Seven forty… and Lan wasn't here…

"No…" She said quietly to herself as the jitters returned, her hands shaking as she lowered the Pet from her face. The look in her eyes was one of devastation, almost complete despair.

"Maylu?" Yai questioned her. "Maylu what's wrong? You're all pale!" Maylu **had **gone pale; she looked whiter than a sheet. Then… a voice echoed in her head. It only did once, but once was all she needed to hear.

…

…

_These trains will be going in between Sharo and Electopia starting at eight that morning… _

…

…

"NOOOO!!!!!" Maylu cried out as she broke into an all out sprint across the living room and nearly rammed the front door of Dex's house as she frantically threw it open and ran out into the street.

"Maylu?!?! Where are you going?!" Sean called after her, but she was already halfway down the block. Of course this probably wasn't the best decision. The patrol soldier for the immediate area spotted her instantly. He reached for his Pet, and was about to shout at her to stop, but a hand rested on his shoulder before he could. He turned around to see Chaud.

"Commander Blaze?" Chaud shook his head at him.

"Let her go… and tell any other patrolmen to do the same." Puzzled, the soldier gripped his Pet, sending a message with his Navi to all the patrols in ACDC to not detain a red haired teenage girl. He wasn't sure why, but he wasn't going to question Chaud. Besides… where ever she was running to… it seemed more important than any written restrictions.

…

…

Maylu stopped at the white and blue mailbox that matched the color scheme of Lan's house. She had run all the way from Dex's house as fast as she could, and her destination was only a few steps away, but she had to stop and catch her breath. The vigorous sprinting along with the shortness of breath involved with the situation was hindering her, but she didn't let it stop her. She was at the front door in seconds, not even bothering to knock. She let herself in and burst into the kitchen. She looked around frantically, eventually spotting Haruka sitting on the couch. Maylu made her way towards her, but stopped before she got near.

Tears. There were tears riddled about her face. Haruka was crying. Her soft teardrops falling a yellow piece of notepaper that sat on the coffee table in front of her. There was a message written on it, but she didn't need to read it… it was Lan's sloppy handwriting. Maylu felt her chest tighten. She found it hard to breath. It didn't take much thought to realize the situation. Haruka turned to see her, her eyes streaming with tears. No words were spoken, none needed to be. Maylu's eyes snapped to their wall clock. Seven fifty. The moment the time registered in her mind, she was out the door and rushing down the sidewalk again.

_He can't!!! He can't go!!! He mustn't!!!_ The metroline entrance came into view, but the area was completely empty. The first train was coming today, yes, but no one wanted to leave on such an early train… save for one.

She nearly glided down the steps, she turned the corner and hopped over the ticket slider, and she sprinted into the station and nearly fell. Her hands rested upon on her knees to support herself as she gasped for air. Then she looked up…

…

…

…

…

There he was… Dressed in long blue jeans and a brown leather jacket. He wasn't wearing his headband, but it was dangling off the belt that held his jeans tight. He had a large duffle bag slung over his shoulder, with Megaman's navi emblem on it. Megaman himself was attached to Lan's hip within his Pet.

"Lan…" The sound of his name seemed to startle him, but then he sighed and turned around slowly. Their eyes met, but they weren't the eyes Maylu was used to. Lan's eyes seemed different. Harder, deeper, less happiness, more seriousness. It looked nothing like him. It was hard for her to take.

"Hey…" He said in response as she paced closer to him. They were no more than two feet apart now. Being shorter than him, she looked up, trying to figure out what was going on. Being taller than her he looked down, only he knew what he had to say. "I was hoping to leave…" He began as he dropped his duffle bag beside him. "Without anyone knowing…" He looked away from her and towards the station ceiling. "If I had told all of you… it would've been harder for me to leave… I know you all would've tried to stop me…" Maylu parted her lips ever so slightly to speak, but nothing came out, as if she was choked from within. "But… I had a feeling you would figure it out… I never could trick you…"

…

Roll was wide awake and aware of the situation. She quickly pulled up a panel and was halfway through typing in the access code for Megaman's Pet, but she only got halfway before an entrance request signaled beside her window. She stared at it; the registry code was Megaman's. Her finger hovered over the "accept" option for a moment. After she was so sure she wanted to see him, she was now afraid of what would happen.

Forcing herself forward, her finger pressed to the panel. A blue flash later, he was there, right in front of her. It was quite a sight for her at first; she hadn't seen him personally for a week, bottled up in his Pet like there was something he was afraid of. She wanted to say so many things, ask so many questions, but like her operator, she was speechless.

"Hey… Roll…" he broke the silence in a tone she had never heard from him before. It was stern yet, frail. It sounded as though his voice was on the verge of breaking just by saying those two words. He took a step towards her. She leaned back as if to take a step back, but she stayed in place. She wasn't sure how to handle the situation, it was almost frightening her. "I'm… so sorry about ignoring you… I… didn't know what to do after I… I…"

"After we kissed?" She nearly blurted out, regretting ever letting herself speak as he stopped dead, causing a long and painful silence.

"No…" He replied eventually, surprising her. "When we kissed… I felt absolutely incredible, better than I ever have… it was an experience that I will never top… but… I felt afraid at the end… there was something else that I couldn't explain, something that I didn't know how to handle, welling up inside me… and I had to stop… but I shouldn't have run off…"

"Well…" He shook his head before she could go on.

"I'm sorry, we shouldn't even be talking about it… there are more important things at hand…" She rushed up to him right as he finished, getting as close as she could without invading personal space.

"You CAN'T go!!" Megaman sighed.

"Guess I don't need to explain then…" Roll shook her head.

"I won't let you go! You have to get Lan to stay!!! I know you want to!!!!" She looked deep into his eyes, trying her hardest to pierce them with her gaze and get through to him. Then he smiled.

"Heh… I'm sorry Roll… but I'm not just being dragged along… I have the very same reasons for taking part in this as Lan… I need to go."

"**NO!!!**" She threw herself into him, hugging him as tightly as she could, like a scared child holding tight to its parent. "Don't leave me Mega…" Tears were welling up in her eyes, falling down her face gently.

"Roll…" She was making this very hard for him. He was hoping to leave without seeing her, but once Maylu showed up, he knew he wanted to one last time, but it was only weighing heavier and heavier on his heart. He didn't hug her back. He brought his hands up, placing them on her wrists, trying to tell her to let go, but the instant he tried to pull her gently off, she wailed again.

"**No!!! Hub!!! Don't go!!!**" The use of his real name made him stop. As his grip faded, she seemed to lighten her hold on him as well. "Don't…… please…… I…………………… Love you…" She choked the words out beneath the sniffles and hiccups. Megaman released his grip on her wrists. That had done it. He knew it was a bad idea to see her because he was afraid this would happen. If it were normal circumstances, then he would have been beyond delighted to hear those words… but right before he left on what could be an unwinnable battle, was the worst time he could've heard it.

_Well she said it… and I think I now know the feeling I was afraid of… it was love… I just didn't know it…_ He reached around, finally returning the hug. They were locked in the tight embrace for minutes, what to Roll seemed like seconds as he finally released her. She sniffled once before releasing him, looking towards him, imploring him with the sadness in her eyes to never leave her. "Roll… if it were a different time and place… I would return your confession… but if I do now… it will only bring pain for both of us…" The tears continued down her face as it was official now, she was not going to be able to stop him, she only hoped that Maylu might be able to stop Lan. "But…" He brought up his right hand, cupping her chin, raising it up so she was looking right at him. He moved in quickly and kissed her. Her eyes shot open, tears still flowing, surprised by the sudden move. Despite how different this kiss was from the uncertain one they had shared, she knew this was the last chance she might get. She returned it, pouring all the emotion and affection she could muster into it, until it ended much sooner than she wanted it to. He backed up from her. She stood still, shivering. They stared at each other, not saying a word, only Roll's soft sobs could be heard. Then he closed his eyes briefly, smiling.

"Well… thanks for everything Roll……" Her eyes grew wide as she realized he really was about to be gone. "You were the greatest thing that ever happened to me…" He blinked once. A single tear ran down his right cheek. "Goodbye…" As he said it, Roll ran towards him, but with a flash of blue light, he was gone. She was mid jump, trying to grab him right as he disappeared. She fell face first to the ground, protecting her head with her forearms as she collided with the floor. She quickly propped herself up on her hands a knees, looking around frantically as if believing he was really still there and only imagined what had just happened. Alas, he was gone, and there was nothing left. She fell back onto her behind, tucking her knees to her chest, quivering.

"No… it's not true… it can't be true… I have to be dreaming…" she began talking to herself. Then the despair hit its peak. It almost felt as though something within her broke to pieces. If not for her Pet being muted, her cry of anguish would have been heard all around the world.

…

"But… to be honest… I'm glad you came…" Lan weakly smiled at her. "Of all the people I know… you are the toughest one to leave behind… so I'm happy that I got to see you one last time…" She cut him off.

"But why?!" She took two steps toward him. "Why do you have to leave?"

"Maylu… this is what I've decided… this is what is best…" She shook her head violently.

"What is **best**!? How can this be what is best?! You are leaving us all behind to go fight in a war… a **WAR!** Lan, this isn't just another Net terrorism plot!" He looked away from her, connecting her words identically to what Chaud had chewed him out for earlier that week.

"I'm well aware of that… but I've taken Chaud's words to heart…" He looked back to her. "If Netopia is victorious… anything and everything I've ever known and love will be destroyed… and that doesn't just go for me… it goes for you… Dex… Yai… and everyone else in the world… I can't stand by and do nothing knowing that I might be able to do my part…" Maylu honestly knew that his words held their water. His decision was an admirable one… but the one thing that was bothering her was how he spoke. He didn't say "to prevent it" or "put an end to it" he said "do my part…" it sounded as if he expected to not survive. She just had to find a way to convince him… She took another step forward, now right in front of him, grabbing him by the arms.

"But what about **our** promise!? You promised we would always be together and be best friends!! You wouldn't break that would you?!" Lan felt his heart ache. He had thought long and hard about it already and he didn't want to explain it to her, but it was inevitable now. He looked her straight in the eyes, as if studying them, trying to find the best way to put what he needed to say. He settled for the cliché, but he couldn't think of any other way.

"Maylu… some promises are meant to be broken…" She almost felt a crack tear through her heart. "I'm not saying that I want to break our friendship… but sometimes the needs of the many… must take priority over the needs of the few…" She clutched his arms harder. This couldn't be Lan… who was he and what had he done with the real Lan?

Without warning, he reached around her and pulled her tight to his chest in an intense embrace. She was startled by the gesture, unable to hug him back due to her arms almost being crushed against him. Something clicked in Maylu's head… something that had been prodding at the back of her head for a while now…

"I'm sorry things had to turn out this way… but life is unpredictable…" He gave her one final squeeze before letting go. "There are times when one must leave behind his past in order to help the future…" He grabbed his duffle bag and hoisted it above his shoulder. There was a whooshing sound as the military train thundered into the station, screeching to a halt at the platform only a few yards away. "I would promise to return… but this is war… anything can happen… so I'd rather not make another promise if it had to balance on such a thing line… I've already gone against one promise… I would hate to with another." She went numb; small tears began forming in her eyes as she began to shake slightly. This wasn't Lan at all… if Lan, usually Mr. Optimism, was sprouting stuff like this, then there would be no end to her worry. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't figure out what was holding her back, and she had no idea what this new sensation she was feeling inside her was. "Maylu… I… will never forget the times we shared…" He turned his back to her as the doors of the train cars hissed open. A soldier, whose uniform signified him as a Sharo private, stepped out of the car and looked around.

"Wow… someone's actually taking this early train? You seem a little eager to go, comrade…" Lan just shrugged at him. "Well, whatever. The supplies are already being loaded, so hope on; we'll be out of here quick…" Lan took a deep breath, then turned his head around to see Maylu, shaking with the most painful look of suffering in her eyes. He felt as though he should say one more thing.

"Well… I guess this is farewell…"

Right as he said it, Maylu stopped shaking, her mouth hung slightly ajar, and her expression was one of realization.

_Love… It is a magical thing… to find one who can match the desire in your soul………… _

She had never seen it in the past, but now it was clear.

_For some people it only happens once in a lifetime… some grab it and take hold… some bide their time and take it slow… yet some hesitate and lose their chance…………_

She was in love with him, with her childhood friend, with **Lan**. But what a horrible time to figure it out. She was so shocked by her sudden understanding of her feelings that she opened her mouth to yell it… but her voice failed her…

_It is a tricky feeling… that can leave one unsure of how to proceed… confused by a thought… perplexed about oneself… but if found… If challenged… if conquered… the victory will be worth the battle… while if left alone… if put off… if lost… the defeat will be unbearable…………_

She wanted it to be her last ditch effort, she thought as though if he knew her feelings, he would stay, he would be convinced. Yet she didn't know how it would affect him, if he would still leave, if he would be angry with her for never knowing herself and her true feelings, only to reveal it at such a dire time. So she stayed still, her uncertainty causing her to lose her chance.

_Those who do not grab the opportunity are fools… damned to feel pain and sorrow by their own lack of initiative…………_

The doors on the train closed. It was at that point she realized what she had done. The train began pulling away. She ran towards it, but the car Lan occupied pulled further and further away from her until it past the station wall, disappearing from site. She halted in front of the wall, watching the rest of the train leave. She could feel the tears waiting to burst from her eyes, but they refused to flow. She was just too shocked; too distracted by the sudden, yet drastic change of direction her life had just taken. She turned away from the wall, walking towards the plastic seats that lined the station. A few slight trips and stumbles accompanied her walk; her state of mind had almost made feel unstable. The rush of emotion that just wouldn't cease was disrupting her equilibrium. She fell back into the chair, a blank look plastered to her face. It wasn't real was it? Lan hadn't really just left had he? She had to be dreaming… she had to…

Then she felt something. She looked to her side to see something blue sticking out of her skirt pocket. She reached down and pulled it out, bringing it in front of her to examine it.

It was his headband… his lucky blue headband with Megaman's Navi emblem design sewn into its center. She almost lost all her breath as his voice echoed in her head.

_Maylu… I… will never forget the times we shared…_

The dam broke. The tears fell. Wave after wave as she clutched the headband tightly, sobbing as she hugged it to her chest tighter than she had ever held anything before in her life. He was **GONE.** There was no mistaking it. She wasn't dreaming, she wasn't imagining it, she was unable to urge him otherwise and he had left… leaving her his most precious possession.

Three octaves of footsteps were heard tumbling down the stairs of the station. Dex, Yai, and Sean all appeared, panting and wheezing from the run. Dex glanced back and forth until he spotted Maylu. He ran up to her with the others behind. He saw three things. Maylu crying, Lan's headband, and the intensity in which she held it. His jaw dropped as he turned and glanced towards the tracks.

"No…"

That was the only word said as silence overcame the group. The only sound within the station were the slow, nonstop sobs from Maylu as she held tight to what remained of her childhood, and her love discovered to late…

---To be continued---

* * *

Well... i'm pretty sure nobody saw this coming. I intended from the start for this to be an extremely serious storyline, the first part was just to go within the usual spectrum of a typical romance fic. But now the leash is off, from here on out the story will be unfolded into it's true shape. It will be heavy, it will be sad, it will be unexpected, but it will remain T. I believe M is only necessary for Lemons, which this will not be.

Well, i can't say how long it will be before the next chapter. as usual, Golden Sun must come first. The chapters for those have been MUCH shorter than these, but i still gotta write 'em. I'd say expect this in next one in about month? That may be longer than it actually takes, but with my workload i do not know how much i'll be able to work on it.

A very gratuitous thank you goes out to all those who read and/or review my work. Each and every one of you are awsome.

Please read and review.

Flashgunner over and out.


	7. Fighting Through the Pain

yeah i know... it's been ages and i submit a chapter about half the length of most of my previous ones... because of all the work i've had lately, and the fact that i've had to give up a lot of my writing time, my progress has been real slow. This chapter was going to be the usual about 30 page length, but i chopped it in half, the next part will be the next chapter. Which kinda fits anyway because there was going to be a space break. But yeah, the shorter submission is due to the fact that i wanted to get something out to you guys, cause really i feel horrible for having you all wait so long. That and i might be picking up a third project that i will tinkerwith on the side from time to time while keeping my schedule with my current two stories.

Anyway, here is the long awaited, (but sadly short) seventh installment of Love Knows No Limit.

Story

"Talking"

_Thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me Talking)

Enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

Written by: Flashgunner

Ch. 7: Fighting Through the Pain

Some say… that you can tell the value of a person by the effects of their absence. Lan Hikari… A student… a son… a hero… but most of all… a friend. The effect of his departure to war against Netopia was almost immediate. Maylu was broken, Dex was furious, Yai was speechless, Sean was confused, Tory would be shocked when he heard.

They finally managed to move Maylu from the metroline, upon exiting they ran right into a patrol soldier, Dex, who was leading them out, froze on the spot. The soldier only shook his head and motioned them to move along. They did as they were told and moved to Maylu's house, setting her down on the couch upon entering. Maylu was still sobbing, and she refused to let go of the blue headband in her hand. Yai was trying her best to console her, but she was interrupted by a loud pounding noise on Maylu's kitchen table.

"Damn him…" Dex was sitting hunched over the table, his fist grinding against its surface. "Damn you Lan!!" Sean moved towards him, hand outstretched ready to place on his shoulder. "THAT BASTARD!" He pulled back and slammed his fist on the table again, causing Sean to rethink approaching him.

"Dex, stop it!" Yai shouted towards him. He turned to her angrily, fire burning in his eyes.

"What do you know?!" He snapped at her. Yai stomped her foot on the floor.

"I know that you're being IMMATURE!" She barked back at him. He paused slightly, trying to stare her down, but it wouldn't work on her. He slammed his fist to the table one more time before rising from his seat and storming to the front door.

"H…hey!!" Sean went after him as Dex threw the door open, but they both stopped as they met someone right outside.

"And where do you think you're going?" A familiar voice questioned. Dex got even angrier by the sight in front of him. Chaud cocked an eyebrow at his expression. "Angry? I expected you to be more dismal…"

"You come here just to taunt me again?!" Dex blurted out.

"Taunt?" Chaud didn't get where he was going.

"Don't play dumb with me! I gotta go get my things together; I'm leaving on the next train!" Sean and Yai both looked at Dex with horror as he spoke. Yai immediately ran up to him.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?!?!" She yelled right into his face. Dex snarled at her.

"Will YOU quit bothering me?!" In one fluid motion she slapped him across the face.

"Get a GRIP already!" She pointed towards Maylu, who hadn't moved from her spot. "You see that?!" She's already minus one lifetime friend! You want to make it two?!" Dex growled in anger, but Chaud broke it up before they could continue.

"You really are dense…" Dex almost exploded.

"That's it, I'm gonna pound you into the…" Dex was stopped cold as Chaud held three fingers up to Dex's face.

"I'll give you three reasons why you are being an utter fool right now." Dex stopped, unsure of whether to listen or solve his dilemma with his fist. Chaud retracted his ring and middle finger. "One. Raika sent me specifically to Lan." He extended his middle finger to make two fingers. "Two. All the Netbattlers being recruited are nationally ranked." He extended his ring finger to make three. "Three. You can't use full synchro. It would be pointless for you to be there, and you'd be sending your navi to a quick deletion." Chaud made his hand into a fist and moved it away from Dex. "You should listen to Yai. You'd be better off staying put." Dex's hands were shaking with anger, Chaud was right and he knew it. He hated to admit it, but he knew it.

"ARGH!" He grunted in anger before storming off towards his house. Yai hung her head and sighed.

"This is so… so very wrong…" She hugger herself. "Why is everything falling apart?" Chaud walked past her.

"Nothing can always be perfect. There are many things in this world that you have to accept when they occur." She turned and followed him into Maylu's living room. He looked down at the sobbing red head, taking note of Lan's headband barely visible beneath the death grip she had on it. _So you really did it Hikari… You hardened your heart and let go of everything… I didn't think you had it in you…_

"Glide… how's Roll doing?" Chaud turned to see Yai speaking into her Pet.

"Guile and I have tried everything… she just isn't moving… Yai looked at the live feed from the air conditioning unit they had plugged their Pets into. She could see Guile over Glide's shoulder in a cyber chair next to Roll, who was sitting on the ground with her legs tucked tightly to her body.

"Well… just keep her company… she needs it…" Yai commanded before setting her Pet down.

"So things aren't looking good huh?" Chaud spoke up, earning a glare from Yai.

"Well gee, aren't YOU perceptive…" She retored. Chaud just shrugged.

"Whatever… I'm leaving tomorrow. So I guess I'll say this now… learn to live with loss… cause things aren't going to get better any time soon." Yai felt like letting him have it, but she couldn't find the strength to do so. She and Sean could only watch as he left Maylu's house.

…

…

…

…

The next day, Dex continued to lie in his bed well past reasonable times. He stared at the ceiling, muttering curses to himself accompanied by Lan's name. He never thought for a moment that Lan would ever do something like this. It was like Lan was what held them all together, because now he didn't feel like seeing anyone. He finally sat up in bed glancing at his Pet on the box beside him that he used as a night stand. Gutsman was fighting automated viruses.

_At least you have ways to let off steam…_ Dex thought as he forced himself out of bed and threw on his green shirt and blue shorts that were beginning to smell a little from days without being washed. As he finished pulling his shirt over him he looked out the window towards the entrance to the metroline station that sat on the other side of the street. He noticed a familiar figure with silver and black hair walking towards it.

_So Chaud's going now too… Hrmph…_ He was about to turn away, when a girl with long blond hair in a blue one piece casual dress ran up to him. In his curiosity, Dex leaned closer to the window, trying to identify who this newcomer was.

_Yai…?_ Indeed it was Yai. She had stopped Chaud before he could leave and they began talking. Dex didn't even need to hear what they were saying; it looked like just another one of their conversations. Yai yelling and Chaud not paying much attention. Dex lost interest and was about to look away again, but Yai suddenly flung herself at Chaud, hugging him tightly. Dex's eyes opened wide and he rubbed them with his hands a few times to make sure he saw it right. He didn't return the embrace, but once she let go of him he nodded to her and disappeared into the station. Yai stood in the same spot for few minutes before walking away from the station entrance with her head hanging. Dex continued looking out the window, speechless yet understanding.

_I guess she always kept that a secret from us… so now both her and Maylu are gonna be feeling down… well at least it looks like Yai will be taking it better… Maylu's probably still on her couch…_

…

He was dead on. Maylu hadn't moved from her spot in her living room. She had curled herself up in the corner of the couch, only taking up one cushion on the large piece of furniture. Her mother walked towards the couch, to check up on her as she had the past few hours. She sighed seeing Maylu in the same state she had last left her in. Knowing there wasn't much she could say or do for her, Mrs. Sakurai just reached down and rubbed her shoulder gently as if to let Maylu know that she was still here and looking out for her.

"Maylu, I'll bring you some food, don't worry about getting up… just please eat something." Her mother suggested warmly. She gave Maylu's shoulder a soft squeeze and disappeared into the kitchen. Maylu barely heard a word her mother had said; her mind was still replaying his words in her head.

_Maylu… I… will never forget the times we shared…_

She clutched the blue headband to her body as tightly as she could. She couldn't stop it, she couldn't forget it. It was like those words alone managed to overload her brain and her body, confusing them beyond belief. Without Lan, her world seemed to crumble, he was the single pin that held the bridge from collapsing.

Between her thoughts she could hear the front door open and close slowly, followed by light footsteps making their way towards the living room. Maylu made a small effort to glance towards the new entry and saw Yai plop down in the comfy chair next to the couch. Her eyes had small tears in the corner, but it looked as though she was trying to hold them back.

"Maylu…" She began, slightly catching Maylu's attention. "You can't go on like this… I know this whole thing is devastating… and I'm not suggesting that you just forget about all it. But you need to think about yourself… don't neglect eating or sleeping… take care of yourself if nothing else." Maylu didn't budge. Yai rose from the chair and knelt down beside her. "Look, Maylu… it may not be as worse as your situation... But I just got back from seeing Chaud off…" She paused to wait for Maylu's reply of disbelief, but as expected she didn't budge. "I… actually really like him… I know I never told you guys and always acted the opposite, but I was afraid of what you guys would think, or what my daddy would think, seeing as how we come from rival companies and all… but, I know it will only be worse if I let it consume me…" Maylu glanced towards Yai. Yai smiled, realizing she managed to get somewhat of a response from Maylu. "I'm not saying you should jump up right now and act like all will be fine, because it won't… just take your time and let yourself adjust…

Yai noticed Maylu's Pet beside the couch. She picked it up and saw that Roll was no longer attached to the floor, which was progress, but she was now in a chair, hugging mouse to the point where the virus seemed to be uncomfortable, and staring at a screenshot, which, upon closer inspection by Yai, was a picture of her and Megaman, with their helmets off, leaning against each other, both asleep.

"That goes for you too." She spoke into the Pet. Roll seemed to flinch a little at Yai's voice, but she didn't take her eyes off the picture. Yai sighed and placed the Pet down, assuming Roll had heard. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands.

_Well… hopefully these two get the message… I hope everything turns out fine… but that's such a wild possibility…_

…

…

…

Another week went by. Dex was still moping in his house, now not even making an attempt to get everyone together. He never realized just how much of a difference Lan made in everyone's life. It was both annoying and painful to realize. He sat at his desk, typing a script code for his Pet with one hand with his other hand buried in an open bag of potato chips.

_I wonder how Lan is doing… if he's still alive… what the hell am I saying? He's only been gone for a week… that and nobody can beat Lan… at least… I hope. _He leaned back in his chair, wiping his greasy hands on his shirt as he reclined. _War's not the same as a netbattle… if he's swarmed he's screwed…_ "Dammit!" He grunted as he repositioned himself upright at his desk. _If only I could use Full Synchro…_ _Not that it would matter now… my last chance was with the trains a week ago…_

He returned his focus to his computer, opening a new window on his desktop. He entered a few codes and passwords, making the small window come to life, turning it into a live news feed. It was a secure channel, only allowed to be used by the military for news and current events in the war. Dex had successfully hacked into it a few days ago; they weren't going to shut him out entirely.

Not much was going on, just small updates, mostly still info on the stalemate on both fronts. He leaned back in his chair again, wondering if all this was really happening, or if it as just some horrible nightmare.

Suddenly an alarm sounded over the channel. Dex sat up so fast that his weight almost snapped the axels on his swivel chair.

"Emergency transmission coming from the Den city police department! Viruses have appeared! Possibly some undercover work by Netopia, requesting back up! Repeat! Requesting backup!"

Dex leaned towards the screen expecting to hear more.

"This transmission has just reached us; all nearby units are being dispatched to help out. Be quick, and keep this under wraps! The police department has a direct link to Scilab! If the viruses get to scilab, Electopia is finished! Repeat, keep this out of earshot of civili…" Dex deactivated the feed, rising from his chair and pacing up and down the room quickly.

"Shit… shit…" He was contemplating attempting to assist, but what Chaud had told him before was bothering him. He wanted to assist, but he didn't want to send Gutsman to an untimely end.

"Sir Dex!!" Gutsman's voice blasted from the Pet. "Guts! Let me help them!" Dex eyed his navi, but growled in annoyance.

"I want to… but… I don't know how strong the attack is… I don't want to get you deleted…" Gutsman pounded his chest with his right fist.

"GUTS! No fear Sir Dex! We can do it together!" Dex was encouraged by his Navi's enthusiasm, if not still a little unsure about what he was about to do.

"Okay Gutsman… we'll do it…" Dex grabbed hold of his Pet and plugged gutsman into his PC. Gutsman ran towards the exit portal and disappeared in a red light. Halfway through the link, Gutsman was stopped by a yellow gird like barrier.

"Sir Dex! The Net lockdown barrier is up!"

"I know I know… give me a second I'm trying to crack it…" Dex frantically typed away on his keyboard trying to hack the codes for the barrier while avoiding detection by Electopian net defense.

"No time! GUTS!!!!!!!" Gutsman grabbed the bars of the barrier, which instantly shot a volt of electricity through him. He pulled back quickly.

"Careful Gutsman! There's a reason Navi's can't break through these!" Dex warned, but Gutsman wouldn't take it.

"Then let's show 'em nothing can stop us!" He reached for the bars again, the shock surging into him as it did before, but he held it steady. Warning lights were flashing all over Gutsman's Pet screen.

"GUTSMAN!!!" Dex was about to forcefully unplug him from the system, but he stopped as he noticed the bars begin to pull apart as Gutsman strained to remove them from his path.

"RAAAAAAHHH!!!!!" In a sudden burst of power Gutsman threw his arms out to the side, successfully ripping the barrier to pieces. "NO SWEAT GUTS!!!!!!!"

"Yikes Gutsman! Good work!" Dex suddenly felt confident after the display of intense determination. "Now let's get out there and help 'em out!" He yelled as Gutsman entered the net and rushed down the deserted road towards the den city police cyberspace.

…

The navi forces of the Den city police department crouched behind net barricades as volleys of energy beams careened over the top. They were popping, firing, and ducking, doing the best they could to fend off the attack. Their efforts did little to stop the advance however, as Aura viruses spread out in front, protecting the M-Cannons that were bombarding the department. The captain was furthest forward, trying to give orders and maintain the composure of his unit. An officer tucked and rolled from his cover to the captain's.

"Sir! It's no good! Our buster's are useless against auras!" The two ducked as an M-Cannon blast smacked right into their cover, bits of the net barricade were ripped from the cyber frame and sent flying over their head before dissolving into bits of data. The captain regained his composure and answered his fellow officer.

"Well, we have to at least delay them! When the defense forces get here they'll put things right! We just need to keep them away from the Scilab link!" They ducked again as another M-Cannon attack penetrated a barricade near them, slicing right through the protection and the head of the navi behind it, deleting him instantly. "SHIT! I just hope we can last that long!!" As if on cue, the area around them lights up in an orangish-red light. The barricade is blown to smithereens and the two are thrown back. They skid to a stop and both quickly turn over towards the incoming horde, knowing well that without cover, they were truly doomed. An M-Cannon took aim at the defenseless duo and fired. The blast connected, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake, but when the dust cleared there was a surprise in store.

"GUTS! Just in time!!!" Gutsman stood over the two downed officers, arms crossed and sizzling slightly from taking the blast head on. He turned and grabbed both of the officers, hoisting them both up under his armpits, and dashed behind a larger barricade where other officers had taken cover.

"Who are you? How did you know about the attack and how get through the net barrier?" The captain asked as he was placed back on the ground.

"I'm Gutsman, don't worry about any of that stuff, I'm here to help!" The captain did not look thrilled to have a civilian navi in the mix. An officer placed a hand on the captain's shoulder.

"Sir, we're spinning our wheels as is… we should take any help we can get." The captain sighed and nodded as a medic navi crouched down to tend to his slight wounds.

"Very well Gutsman, you can help. Just make sure your operator knows that we're not responsible if you get deleted."

"I know that." Dex's face appeared above them. "Gutsman and I will do whatever it takes!"

"Great first the navi gets in and now the operator breaks through secure transmissions… Whatever there's no time to argue regulations." Gutsman saluted Dex and turned to the captain.

"So what's the situation?" The Captain motioned to his scout officer keeping a lookout through the barricades porthole.

"We have multiple Aura viruses forming a picket line to defend M-Cannons behind. Other than that I don't know what else we could be up against."

"Aura's huh…" They looked to Dex. "No wonder you've done no damage… busters are useless against them. Don't you have any battlechips?"

"We are not authorized to use battlechips in this area…" Dex's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?! You're still following those stupid rules when the fate of Electopia depends on it?"

"The military will be here soon, all we need to do is hold out." The captain managed to finish as a large explosion rocked the barricade, breaking down half of it and forcing most of those within its shelter to make a beeline for new cover.

"My ass we'll hold out! Gutsman! Four chips incoming! Barrier 200 and Gutspunch H, I, and J!" A pink barrier formed around Gutsman as his fists began to glow green with a program advance. "Go Gutsman!!!"

"GUTS!!!" Gutsman jumped out from behind the barricade and immediately met the force of the cannon fire, but his barrier held strong as he forced himself against the pelting rounds. As he approached his attackers, the aura viruses began closing around them, Gutsman used the power of his battlechips to puncture through the auras and rip his way towards the cannons.

"Christ! He broke through 'em!" The scout shouted back to the captain, who was now also peering through the porthole.

"He's… he's attacking the auras only though, he hasn't gone for the…" The captain got an idea. "He's giving us openings!" He pulled up his radio. "All units! Fire on the Cannons! Let's give our new friend some cover fire!" The police units obeyed, some taking aim from behind cover, the braver ones advancing out into the open, motivated by Gutsman. Once satisfied with the hole he had created in their shield, Gustman turned to the cannons, barreling towards them.

"Gutsman! Use this!" Dex shifted his original chip, the "Flurry Punch", into his pet. Gutsman grunted and charged into the cloud of viruses, his punches moving so fast they could barely be seen. Virus after virus was blown to pieces by the forward assault.

All seemed to be going well, until an orange blade swept by him, nearly cutting off his head. Gutsman stepped back to see a group of fire swordy moving towards him.

"More small fry eh?!" Gutsman no longer had the flurry punch, but he was more than able to handle a few sword type viruses. But to his surprise, the first punch he threw met air, as the swordy backed off, and fired a heated sword beam at him. "Huh?!" The beam connected with his barrier, throwing him back towards the cannons. As he landed his barrier dissipated, finally pushed over its damage limit. Dex was shuffling through his chips frantically.

"I've never seen a swordy virus use a sonic boom before… did Netopia… Breed these things?"

"Sir Dex! Sir Dex! I have a problem guts!!!" Dex faced his screen, the M-Cannons had circled around Gutsman. He had no avenue of escape.

_The M-Cannon's are working together?! Netopia definitely did something!_ "Shit!" Cursed Dex as he rustled fiercely through his chips to find another defense based one. But he hadn't the time. The M-Cannons began firing on Gutsman, who could only shield himself so much with his powerful arms.

"Argh!!!" Gutsman grunted as he fell to a knee, bits and pieces of his tough exterior were being chipped away by the constant barrage of blasts.

"NO!!" Dex yelled as he realized that his defensive chips were not within his immediate reach. He stared back at the screen, devastated that he could do nothing to help his navi.

"Help him out!" The police captain ordered, but the remaining aura viruses moved in to block the busters of the navis.

"Grr…." Gutsman growled to himself under the assault of the viruses. _I can't give up… I can't!_

Dex slammed his hand down on his desk. _You gotta get up Gutsman! We can't give up!_ A white spark popped behind Dex.

_We can't fail!_ The same spark flickered behind Gutsman.

_We just can't!!!!_ Dex pushed himself towards the screen. "GUTSMAN!"

"DEX!" A white aura flashed around Gutsman, likewise with Dex. Gutsman threw himself upward, causing a wave of energy to disperse and knock over the cannons firing at him. Dex suddenly realized that he was looking through Gutsman's eyes. He had achieved full synchro. However now was not the time to celebrate, which he knew well. So he took advantage of his new opportunity.

"Let's rumble Gutsman!"

"Aye aye!" Gutsman charged towards the cannons at a much faster speed than he had ever been able to move in the past. He reached out, crushing them with his fists or grabbing them and tearing them apart. The blasts seemed to move in slow motion as not a single attack from the viruses seemed to connect with him.

_This is amazing!!!_ Dex thought to himself as the combined minds of him and Gutsman massacred the enemy. Once the cannons had taken a beating they began to withdraw, but the swordys stepped up, charging towards him. They met a similar fate. Gutsman's fists broke anything and everything that got near to him. He was sure he'd win no sweat. But soon the swordys began organizing, attacking in waves and sing their long swords to stay out of his reach. Dex and Gutsman managed to dodge the attacks, but they were never within striking distance of the viruses.

None the less, they fought on, but the swordys kept getting smarter. Eventually one made its way into his blind spot and Dex learned the hard way that Full Synchro comes with an incredibly high risk. Right as the duo turned to face the swordy, it had already swung… and slashed right down through Gutsman's right eye.

"GRRRGH!!!" Gutsman grunted. He suddenly realized that he was not connected with Dex anymore.

… _Being one with the navi, in mind, soul, and body, is a double edged sword… sure it powers the navi up… but what happens to the navi… Happens to the operator…_

"AAAAAARRRG!!! AAAHHHH!!!!!" A scream came from the screen behind the navi. Gutsman turned and gasped in horror at what he saw.

"SIR DEX!!!!!" Dex was flailing around his room, clutching his right eye. Blood was literally pouring down his cheek and dripping onto his clothes and the floor. He fell to his knees, trying to contain the pain to little avail. Gutsman turned back to the viruses, without Dex to help him, he wouldn't stand a chance. Dex knew this as well, and despite his pain, he pulled himself back to his Pet.

"Gutsman!!" He yelled. His voice twisted by the agony he was experiencing. Gutsman stared back at the screen. "This ain't nothing! He removed his hand from his right eye. A large gash ran right through from his forehead, through his eye, and down to his cheek. "And we're not gonna back down! Got it!" Gutsman looked his operator in the eye, their left eyes were all that remained, but one eye filled with determination was better than none.

"YES SIR! AIN'T NOTHING BUT A SCRATCH!" Gutsman punched his fist to his chest. Dex smiled.

"You got that right! Let's end this!!!" The white aura appeared around them both, signaling that their connection was reestablished. Gutsman stood tall and raised both of his arms high above his head. His massive hands began to glow and formed together into the large metallic mallet he had used many times in the past.

"GUTS HAMMER…!" The navi called out.

"…FULL POWER!!!" Dex finished at they plunged the mallet to the ground as hard as they could. The strike as so fierce that there was almost a delay between the shockwave and the effect. The floor cracked and splintered quickly as it began breaking apart. One by one the viruses fell to their deletion in the intense dataflow of cyber space. The floor around Gutsman began to crumble as well and soon the operator and navi found themselves falling towards the same fate.

"Sir Dex…" Gutsman began.

"We did it Gutsman. We did our part…"

"Looks like this is the end huh…?"

"Looks to be that way… thanks for everything Gutsman…"

"Aye Dex…" They both passed out, still locked in full synchro.

Right as they were about to hit the data flow, a pair of yellow arms caught Gutsman around the shoulder. They struggled for a moment, adjusting to the large navi's weight, but gained control and began floating back up towards the police HQ cyberspace, or what was left of it.

"Miss Yai, I got him just in time, how are things at his house." A screen popped up in front of the navi.

"God job Glide… but… I just got to his house… he's seriously injured…" She sounded chocked and looked a little pale.

"What? That would mean…"

"Yep… I think he figured out full synchro… Looks like he just disconnected… but he also paid the price." She glanced back at Dex, but quickly looked back to Glide, shivering.

"What do you mean?" Yai didn't look herself, but she tilted the Pet screen so Glide could se Dex. His jaw dropped in a mix of disbelief and shock.

"Glide… we need to get him to a hospital… he's…" She paused, glancing back again, wincing and turning away. "He's missing his right eye…"

…

…

…

"Ugh…" Dex slowly regained consciousness, with a bright light shining in his eyes… or so he thought, only one of his eyes opened. He realized something was covering his other eye, but it didn't matter, he couldn't feel anything where his right eye used to be. "So it wasn't a dream…" He sighed. Glancing around with his one good eye he noticed he was in a room with white walls and medical equipment strewn about around his bed. "How did I get to the hospital?"

"Guts! Dex! You're awake!" Dex groggily turned his head to his left to see Gutsman in his Pet.

"Oh good… so someone managed to save both of us…"

"We did actually." A voice came from the door. Dex leaned up slightly to see Yai in the door. She walked up and sat down a chair beside his bed. Tory and Sean appeared at the door as well, running in to greet him.

"Glide managed to fly in and catch you before you two fell… you are pretty lucky, we almost didn't make it in time…"

"Heh… well I'm glad you did… at least I'm alive…" he paused for a moment. "Do my parents know?"

"They're out in the waiting room." Tory explained.

"Some officials were talking to them." Sean began. "I think you made quite an example at the police station."

"As a matter of fact he did." They all turned to see a man dressed in a suit in the doorway. "Allow me to introduce myself…" He began as he walked up to Dex. "I am Akira Tsumura, head of the den city police force, an official, and head of mainland security during this time of war."

"Nice to meet you…" Dex held out his hand, and they shook. The other three backed off a bit, realizing how important this visitor was.

"Now Dex, I can't even begin to tell you how many rules and laws you broke just by going onto the net during lockdown, hacking our security news feed, and breaking through secure links into the police headquarters…" Everyone looked surprised, they were about to retaliate for their friends sake, but they never got the chance. "However… there was no way the military would have made it in time. My navi is the captain of the net defense force and he himself vouched for your role in possibly saving our nation… So as the head of mainland security, I would like to extend to you an offer…" He glanced at Gutsman, who was listening just as intently as his operator. "Dexter Oyama… once you have recovered I would like to invite you to be a captain of the mainland security force." Yai, Tory, and Sean couldn't believe their ears. Dex, a captain? "You proved yourself worthy of the job through your determination, which also rallied the rest of the police force to keep on fighting… I think you'll fit the roll perfectly."

Dex had sat silent throughout the entire explanation. _I can't go off to war… it's too late for that… but maybe… I can do my part here…_ Dex smiled. "I would be honored to except that position."

"Glad to hear that. Now get some rest, you've earned it." They shook hands again ad Akira left.

"Wow Dex… who would've thought you'd become a captain someday?" Sean joked.

"Well… I figured if I can't go to war I might as well do all that I can here… Just because Lan's gone doesn't mean we have to sit on our asses and twiddle our thumbs."

"But… what about your eye?" Tory asked. Dex chuckled.

"Still have another don't I? Losing an eye is nothing compared to what I would've lost had I backed down…" He glanced over to Gutsman, noticing that Gutsman's right eye was still damaged. "Gutsman, you didn't get repaired yet?"

"I did."

"Why is your eye still broken then?" The large navi pounded a fist to his chest.

"Still have another don't I?" He proudly explaimed. Dex laughed.

"Yeah, sure, but you can get it fixed easily."

"No can do Dex… as long as you carry that scar, so will I guts!" Dex caught on.

"A I get it… you're the best Gutsman…"

Yai watched the entire scene unfold from her chair. She sighed, placing her chin in her hand and turning towards the open door. _Well at least one person has lightened us up a bit… but it's gonna take a hell of a lot more with her…_

---To be continued---

* * *

And there we go... Dex has suffered a wound that will never heal, but it will serve as a reminder that he gave his all and saved billions. Like i said before, this story was never meant to be the same ol lan/maylu fall in love fic. Expect things to be dark and painful.

As i said above, i might be picking up a third project, one that i've had on mind for StarFox for a long time now, and may end up being my longest work. Unfortunately it may be the last serious commitment i put towards this site. I'm not saying i'm going to stop writing after that, i'll still probably tinker here and there with fanfiction, but i have to put more focus on my original projects so i may one day become an author.

As always i would like to extend a great deal of thanks to those who read and/or review and put up with my harsh schedule changes. You guys are the best.

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!


	8. How Far Would You Go? part 1

God i've been gone for a while... I've been drowning in homework though so i guess i have an excuse. this is why i'm trying to culminate my career in the fanfiction department already... because it probably will take me the next two and a half years to finish these things beside my college work.

Anyway it has been a while, but i am back again with the eigth installment of Love Knows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_Thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me talking)

Enjoy!

* * *

Times of war can be heavy on a nation. Due to the massive conflict taking place on the border of Sharo and Netopia, Sharo's citizens were evacuated from the country and sent to other locations. However, Sharo is one of the world's largest countries, so citizens had to be moved to Yumland, Cream land, and even all the way to Electopia. This itself brought straining economic issues in sustaining the extra population. It was bad enough that three quarters of the economy was being devoted to the war effort.

Despite these setbacks though, the people lived on day by day hoping that the stalemate would eventually go in the Allied nation's favor, but the sheer power of Netopia was practically equal to the rest of of the world combined, so there was no way of knowing what would happen, when it would happen, how it would happen, or if it would happen.

Dex recovered from his injuries, with the exception of his right eye, which was beyond repair, and was pledged into the ranks of the homeland security force as a captain. He immediately became well known… his determination to do his part drove him to become a motivational icon to the people on the home front. Dex's new status came with a few bonuses, he managed to obtain clearance for Maylu, Yai, Sean, and Tory to move about the town freely without worrying about the national patrol, and his ties with Sean gained the police force access to additional technology from scilab to upgrade the national defense systems. The access didn't mean much for Tory, he was practically sleeping at the water works. He and his father worked close to twenty four hour days to keep the systems running with what little budget they were allowed with the war swallowing up the nation's funds.

Unfortunately due to the hard-pressed economy, schools were forced to remain closed. Eventually a text file mailing list was created so that lessons and lectures could be sent to homes for the students to keep up on their studies while the war was in progress.

It took a few weeks, but eventually Yai managed to get Maylu moving again. Yai began stressing Maylu's need to eat more and get exercise, but what really sold it was the fact that just because Lan had gone to war didn't mean he wouldn't come back. It was a very small chance, being a world conflict and all, but the thought was enough. If he was going to come back, she didn't want to look like a ghost. This didn't change her emotional state though. She still barely talked and was all around a completely different person than she used to be. She was no longer upbeat, no longer cheerful, and the bright color of her eyes had become murky and sullen. Sometimes she was even bitter, a trait that was the exact opposite of Maylu. It was as if without Lan a whole piece of her soul was missing. It was a very rough sight.

In terms of the net, it was still locked down completely, and since Dex had broken through, they tightened the firewalls even more. All navi's were confined to either their Pets or Homepages. Gutsman had become very popular among the police Navi's. He was an expert at rallying them, even if all he did was shout and roar like he was firing up a sports team, it worked none the less. Iceman was stuck with Tory at the waterworks, but with Yai and Sean's constant visits to Maylu, Glide and Guile did their best to keep Roll company. Unlike her operator though, Roll hadn't changed a bit as time progressed. She hadn't said a single word since Megaman said goodbye to her. She made it as far as her bed and after that had been stuck to it, never getting up. Mouse didn't need to understand English to realize that Roll was going through a horrible experience. The tiny Met was determined not to move from her side. Glide and Guile did their best to get a response from her, but the only response they ever got was her turning away from them. They ended up deciding it would be best to just leave her be. They still visited, but just so that Roll didn't have to be alone.

It's a difficult thing to deal with when life takes sudden and unexpected twists and turns, especially if they are negative, but life goes on none the less, and that is a reality that everyone must face despite the circumstances.

With that in mind…

Time slowly progresses…

A year passes…

But the fighting continues…

Love Knows No Limit

Written by: Flashgunner

Ch. 8: How Far Would You Go? (Part 1)

"Maylu?" Yai, now fifteen, poked her head into Maylu's room, her long blond hair out of its pony tail and hanging down past the door. She glanced around after not getting an immediate response, and was about to close the door when she heard a heavy sigh.

"Yes?" a somber voice answered from up in the loft. Yai entered the room and closed the door behind her quietly before climbing up the ladder to Maylu's loft. Maylu was sitting cross-legged on her bed, reading her school data file of the day on her Pet. She looked pretty ragged; her hair had grown down to her mid back, but was frazzled as if she had just gotten out of bed. She was also dressed in her teal long sleeve pajama shirt and pants. Yai gave her a confused look, glancing at the clock on Maylu's nightstand that read 2:30 PM.

"Did you just get up?" Yai asked casually as she sat down on the edge of Maylu's bed while tucking her hair behind her ears. Maylu only shook her head.

"I've been up since eight." She nonchalantly replied. Yai sighed.

"Maylu you look horrible, you should at least clean yourself up…"

"Why?" Maylu dropped her pet onto the bed and looked in the opposite direction of Yai. "What would it matter? It's not like there's anywhere to go or anyone to see… it wouldn't make a damn difference…"

"Maylu! You don't have to be mean… I was just suggesting…"

"One year…" Maylu suddenly mumbled.

"Huh?" Yai wasn't quite sure if she had heard Maylu correctly. Maylu tucked her legs to her chest.

"It's been a whole year since he left… this stupid war is still going on… our lives have been tossed in the garbage… what the hell is it all good for?"

"Maylu…"

"And not a single word… no contact nothing…" She continued as Yai lost track of any words she wished to say. "Contact with anyone in the war is impossible… how am I supposed to know if he's still alive?"

"Maylu, stop it!" exclaimed Yai.

"For all I know he's already dead and I've lost my only reason to actually give a f…"

"MAYLU!!!" Yai cut her off, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Why would you even **THINK** like that?! Lan WON'T die!"

"He's at war Yai…" Maylu pointed out quietly, tears becoming visible in her eyes. "He's not just a few blocks away fighting against criminals he's fighting a war Yai! Chaud said it himself that this isn't just another everyday threat this is a god damn…" Yai smacked her across the face. Maylu's reaction under normal circumstances would have been to bounce back and demand why she had been struck, but this time it only made her silent.

"And I thought you were actually getting better…" Said Yai. "Maylu you NEED to pull yourself together…" A single tear dripped from Maylu's eye and she quickly wiped it away, sniffling once. She stood from her spot and moved towards the ladder while keeping her face out of eye sight from Yai. "Where are you going?" Yai questioned, still in complete shock of Maylu's current attitude.

"To take a shower…" She mumbled, and climbed down. Yai sighed as she heard Maylu leave the room and eventually heard the shower turn on down the hall. She sighed and glanced towards Maylu's Pet. She reached for it and hoisted it up to her face and gasped. Roll was sitting up on the edge of her bed. It was the first movement she had seen from her since the fateful day. Yai quickly grabbed her own Pet. "Glide!" The tall navi flinched, stumbled, and dropped the pile of files he was carrying. He quickly knelt down and started gathering them together as he answered.

"Y-yes Miss Yai?" He stammered, ashamed at her witness of such a trifling folly.

"Glide leave those for later! Roll is sitting up!" This caught his attention.

"What?!" He stared straight at Yai.

"Yeah! Here I'm going to plug you into her Pet, go check up on her!" She ordered. He acknowledged her with a bow.

"Right away!" He turned towards the Pet transfer portal and waited for Yai to connect to Roll's Pet. Once the portal flashed on Glide stepped into it and transferred. When he appeared in Roll's Pet, it was almost a mirror image of Yai's entrance with Maylu. Roll was sitting on her bed, hands in her lap, helmet removed, and facing away from Glide. It was almost as if he took no notice to him. None the less, he followed his orders and approached her.

"Miss Roll?" He called to her, but as expected she didn't budge. He sighed and sat down in the chair beside the bed. "It is good to see you sitting up at least… are you feeling any better?" He questioned. Roll shook her head slowly, surprising Glide again. It may not have been much, but just the fact that she was moving gave hints that she was finally trying to regain herself. "Well… at least you've moved… I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever…" He stopped mid sentence as he noticed something hovering over her hands. He leaned forward to get a better look and noticed the same screen shot she was staring at for weeks after Lan and Megaman had left; the one of Megaman and Roll asleep on the cyber couch in the system of Yai's mansion.

"I…" Roll's voice nearly creaked, sounding choked and rusty from not speaking in ages. Glide's eyes snapped up to her as he heard. "I…miss… him…" She hugged her body tightly and leaned forward as if trying to curl into a ball and disappear. "…So… much…" she finished. Glide wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure anything he said could ever compare to what Megaman's presence would do for her. He glanced around, noticing Mouse about a foot from Roll, staring up at her with a somber expression. The little met glanced at Glide for a second as if pleading him to do something to help her. Mouse was missing the true Roll as much as the rest of them. Finally Glide reached forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Roll… Megaman has never failed us in the past… even though this is a war… I don't think anything will ever stop him." He thought this would at least help slightly, but it had no visible effect, like she couldn't even hear him. He sighed, defeated, and rose from his seat. He could hear the door of Maylu's room open, signaling Maylu's re-entry, so he decided it was time to return to his Pet. _There's really nothing anyone can do for her… the only one that can pull her out of this state is Megaman… _He stepped through the portal and transferred back to his Pet as Yai began conversing with Maylu again.

"Feel any better?" Yai asked as Maylu slipped into her closet.

"Not really…" Came the muffled answer from behind the door. Yai rolled her eyes at the response.

"What **would **make you feel better?" Yai asked, and quickly felt stupid knowing exactly what Maylu was going to say.

"Lan." She responded, just as Yai predicted. She stepped out from the closet and donned her old outfit of a teal shirt with a blue vest, a pink skirt and black knee high socks.

"Maylu, I'm going to say this straight up… you need to stop brooding." Yai suddenly said. Which was met by a scoff from Maylu.

"Oh great, now you're gonna tell me how pathetic I am?" Maylu threw her arms out to the side. "Like you would know what I'm going through!" Yai pounded her fist against the wall.

"I didn't say you were pathetic! And you're wrong, Chaud left too remember?!"

"Don't even act like that's the same thing!" Maylu was fighting back tears. "You haven't known Chaud your whole life! How could you possibly care as much?!" Yai was red in the face.

"Oh you did **NOT **just say that!" Yai fired back. "I don't even **KNOW** you anymore!"

"Am I interrupting something?" The two girls snapped their eyes towards the door and the sound of the low voice. It was Dex with his head peeking out from behind the door, a black eye patch laced around his head and over his right eye. He glanced back and forth between the girls, both red in the face and looking like they were both about to tear up. Yai turned away from Maylu.

"No. You're not. We're done here." Yai started for the door, but Dex stopped her.

"Hold on a minute, I want to talk to both of you." He stated. Yai glanced back at Maylu, who had her back turned to them. She sighed and nodded, before stepping back so Dex could enter the room. His eye patch wasn't the only difference. He was wearing a grey net security uniform, which was a pair of grey slacks and a button down grey shirt with badges and patches sewn into it to show his achievements, along with the three stars on his right shoulder that signified him as a captain. "Is it alright if I come in Maylu?" He asked politely even though he was already a full pace past the door.

"Yeah…" She replied quietly. He nodded, even though she couldn't see him and walked towards her.

"How are you doing? Well, besides the obvious." He asked, knowing she was still devastated about Lan. She turned halfway towards him, but still didn't look at him.

"Rather lousy… but what's there to be happy about anyway…" She shrugged, her mood still heavily affecting her personality and speech. Dex smiled.

"Well if you'll step out from under your personal storm cloud for a moment, I have something to tell you that might help." Both Maylu and Yai perked up at this. Maylu fully faced him, but her expression had not changed much.

"Go on…" She ordered.

"Here let's sit down…" Dex motioned them towards Maylu's assortment of large bean bags and they all plopped down in them. "That's more like it…" Said Dex as he settled in, "Okay then… Yesterday I was on command duty while Chief Tsumura was on leave. Everything was normal until we received a secure message from the warfront." Yai was intrigued to hear this, but the drastic change was in Maylu. Mention of a message from the war meant possibly something to do with Lan.

"Yes? And?" Maylu asked eagerly.

"Whoa whoa hey, I'm getting there." Dex chuckled. "Being in charge at the time, it was part of my duty to receive the message and log it into our database. So I did just that, and to my surprise the message was a direct video message from Chaud…" Yai breathed a heavy sigh of relief at the mention of Chaud, but Maylu looked crushed, she was hoping it would be from Lan. "It was really just a routine message about the current status of the military and certain movements that would occur in the future… but one thing among this information stood out…" Maylu was suddenly anxious again. Dex continued. "Net Batallion's four, thirty-two, and fifty-one are being sent to one of our large supply depots, Outpost Liberty in Yumland cyberspace, to stockpile supplies tomorrow." He stopped and smiled at them. Maylu just stared, wondering what was so important about that, but Yai spoke up.

"What's so great about that?" She asked.

"When I became a captain for the homeland security force, I also received a list of citizens from Electopia who went to war, and what rolls they were fulfilling…" Maylu suddenly put two and two together, freezing in place. "And guess who the lieutenant of Battalion thirty-two is?"

"LAN!" Maylu was on her feet, but no sooner did she stand up did she slump back down. "But… wait Dex, it's not like we can see him… and besides how do we know if he's still alive?" Dex scrunched his eyebrows.

"First of all Maylu, I think you need to renew your faith in Lan, when has he ever been known to let us down?"

"But…" She tried to explain, but he cut her off.

"…It's war? That doesn't make a difference Maylu. No matter what he does or where he goes you need to remember that Lan is still Lan… and he **ALWAYS **comes back." Maylu slumped back as he finished.

"But then why are you telling me about this?" She wondered out loud.

"Because this may be the only chance you get to see him in a long time." Dex's answer caught her attention.

"What? Dex how would that work?" He shook a finger at her.

"Have you forgotten that Yumland Cyberspace is the closest foreign network to Electopia's? It would only take you about an hour to get there…" She shook her head as he finished.

"No, Dex, I know that… but the net is on lockdown, remember? Navi's can't even leave their PC's…" She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Not if I sneak you out." Maylu's eyes shot open.

"No! Dex you'll get in trouble! And wouldn't Roll be caught by the patrols anyway?" As much as she wanted to see Lan, she was only being realistic.

"Maylu, you NEED to see Lan. Don't try to fight me on this because you know it's true. You haven't been the same since he left, and this is our best bet to get you back. As for the patrols, Roll is swift enough to evade them, and if things get tight don't forget that you can use full synchro… besides when you make it there you'll have to do it anyway to see him." Maylu stood perfectly still as she contemplated the opportunity before her. She really wanted to see Lan, but what would happen if she got caught? As she thought to herself, Dex plugged Gutsman into Roll's Pet with orders to relay the news. Maylu wasn't going anywhere if Roll wasn't brought to her senses.

Roll heard the transfer portal in her Pet activate, but as she had done with Glide, she remained motionless. Due to Gutsman's heavy steps she discerned it to not be Glide again.

"Hey Roll…" Gutsman stopped behind her, but she didn't respond. He sighed and walked around in front of her. "Roll, were you listening to the conversation?" Again no answer Gustman put his weight on his right leg, leaning to the side and shrugged. "Guess not… maybe you'll answer me when you hear this… There is a chance that you and Maylu may be able to see Lan and Megama…"

"MEGAMAN?!" Roll suddenly yelled. Her neck bent upward and eyes wide, but looking above Gutsman as if just the mere mention of the name made her go into shock.

"Whoa! Calm down Roll…" Gutsman put his massive hands on her shoulders gently. "Roll… Lan and Megaman will be stopping at Yumland Liberty Outpost tomorrow… Maylu wants to see Lan, and you don't even have to tell me how much you want to see Magaman again." She finally stopped glancing about the room and fixed her eyes on Gutsman. "Roll, pull yourself together! This is the only chance you two have… and you can only do it together! Maylu needs you just as much as you need her!" Rolls eyes suddenly seemed to brighten a little.

"See… Megaman…" She managed to squeak out.

"Yes!" Gutsman picked up how she was going. "Yes, Roll I know you want to see him."

"I… I do! I don't care what I have to do! I will see him!" Roll nearly jumped out of her bed and pulled up the volume controls to her Pet as quickly as she could despite the stiffness from barely moving in a year. Dex watched the whole thing on the Pet screen and smiled.

_Nicely done Gutsman…_

"MAYLU!" Roll shouted from her Pet, startling Yai and Maylu. "What are you sitting there thinking about it for!? We are going to see them and that's final!"

"Roll…!" Maylu felt a pang of determination in her heart. "Yes! No more thinking about it… I need to do this! I need to see Lan!" She ran up to her Pet and picked it up, hugging to her chest. 'We'll do it together!"

"Wow…" Yai watched the scene unfold, the turned to Dex who was retracting the cord to his pet. "You are quite the miracle worker, Dex… Glide and I been trying to get a positive reaction from them for a year now, and you and Gutsman manage it in about five minutes." She shrugged, giving Dex a good chuckle.

"Don't give me too much credit… I just had the right situation to work with." He glanced back at Maylu and smiled seeing her acting nearly like she used to. "I'll let them be, I need to get back on duty anyway… when she's settled down, tell her to wait until about two in the afternoon tomorrow, around that time Gutsman will stroll by and unlock the net firewall for her PC. He will give her instructions from there and send her on her way." With that he started towards the door.

"Why not tell her that right now?" Yai asked, confused with an eyebrow raised. Dex turned and pointed towards Maylu.

"You wanna try right now?" He said. Yai looked at Maylu and she was frantically conversing with Roll. It was scary almost, probably shattering the record for fastest mood swing in history. Yai stared at Maylu blankly for a few seconds then turned back to Dex.

"Good point… I'll let her know later."

"Thanks, I need to get back on duty." Dex reached for the doorknob.

"Aye-aye! Captain Oyama!" Yai joked, giving him a fake salute. He glanced back at her and chuckled.

"You're too much…" And he left. Yai turned back to Maylu, taking in the seemingly impossible sight before her.

_You know…_ She thought to herself. _This is actually like old times… As usual, Lan is able to make us all feel better… even if he's countries away…_ She sighed and smiled. _You better still be alive Lan… She needs this…_

***

The next day came, and Maylu was carefully following the instructions given to her by Dex through Yai. She was on the floor pillow in front of her PC, rummaging through her folder of battle chips. Not those for attacking purposes, more for defense and strategy. She knew despite her best efforts she would most likely have to deal with a few patrols along the way, so she needed any boost she could find. She managed to pile up two areasteal chips, three invis2's, a barrier100, five guard chips and a rock cube. She glanced up at Roll, who was walking in circles near the link to the net, Mouse standing off to the side watching her. Maylu glanced back to her chips, scratching her head.

"Roll?" She called.

"Yes?" The pink Navi ceased walking and stared up at the screen.

"What is you battlechip storage file size?" Roll blinked for a moment then drew a panel with her finger.

"I'm not sure… at least not after that last upgrade… let me check…" A small yellow light appeared above her head and ran down her body to the floor. The screen beeped. "Looks like… oh wow that's more than I expected… apparently I can hold a total of seventy-five mega-bites of chip data."

"Wow that **is** a lot, wasn't it just forty-five last time we checked?" Maylu asked.

"Yeah… you think learning full synchro pumped up my file size?" Roll ran her eyes over the statistics listed on the panel.

"Maybe… I think I recall Lan mentioning something about a Navi's file size increasing when major traits or abilities are earned… oh well let's not worry about it, if anything it will help here…" Maylu looked back to the battlechips.

"Wait, Maylu, why would we have to store them?" Roll wondered suddenly.

"If I'm forced to use full synchro early; I want to have something to defend myself with…"

"As opposed to just being in full synchro period?" Roll wasn't trying to argue, but she was curious.

"Well, I'd rather not take any unnecessary risks, you know being completely vulnerable to any damage you take and all… so I guess this is insurance…"

"That makes sense… but…" Roll stopped there.

"But, what?" Maylu looked back to her.

"Do you know how to call battlechips when in full Synchro?" Roll's question smacked her in the face.

"Um…" She stammered.

"Yeah… just wanted to point that out." Roll sighed.

"Oh whatever, if I can't do it I can't do it, but still it would be better to have them in case I suddenly use one by accident." Maylu finished as she inserted the first chip into her Pet, let it download the chip file, then ejected it and repeated the process with the rest. Just as she finished the link to the internet sprung to life.

"Maylu!" Roll shouted.

"I see it Roll, are you ready?"

"More than I'll ever be."

"Good." Maylu smiled. "Let's go see them." With that Roll stepped into the link and transferred to the net for the first time in a year. When she stepped out of the transfer, he eyes went wide with wonder. The net was deserted and dead quiet, not a navi on the road, save for Gutsman beside her. It was eerie.

"Guts… good to see you up and moving Roll…" Gutsman chuckled as she glanced around, taking in the once-in-a-lifetime sight of the net being empty.

"Yeah… I'm sorry if I've been difficult, I almost feel a bit lame breaking down like that." Gutsman turned away from her.

"Guts… No Roll, you and Megaman are like components in computer code… take one away from the other and the whole thing comes crashing down. Guts… You had every reason to feel the way you did. Megaman is practically your other half." Roll just stared at him. Gutsman giving a speech, much less one as profound as that was unheard of.

_Maybe the war really has changed everyone… will things ever be the same?_

"So then…" Her attention returned to the large navi as he faced her. "…I have to make this brief before they start wondering where I am. You know the way to Yumland's network correct?"

"Yeah I haven't forgotten." She said with a slight eye roll, remembering the time she got lost in Yumland's old network before it was redone to be less of a maze.

"Guts! Good, that makes this easier… Now the main roads are heavily patrolled, so I suggest staying off the main road unless you really need to use it. By taking side roads it should take you about an hour to reach Yumland. From the Den Area entry point, just head to YumSquare, that's where they set up Outpost Liberty. Guts, got all that?" He finished. Roll nodded to him, flashing a thumbs-up.

"Mm-hm!"

"Good… oh!" He clasped his hands together. "Virus activity is literally non-existent right now; most of the hackers are probably scared stiff from the war, so you won't have to worry about them, but most importantly, **please** do not attack any patrol navi's, they have authorization to open fire under any circumstances of danger."

"Don't worry, I didn't plan on it." She shook her head. "But Gutsman?"

"Guts…?"

"Thank you." She stepped forward and hugged one of his massive arms. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this. I'll make it up to you someday I promise."

"Anything for a friend…" He patted her on the shoulder with his free hand. "Now go on… I need to get back on my patrol… and… good luck." She nodded to him and released his arm.

"Let's go Maylu."

"Right with you Roll." Roll took off in a fast jog down the main road. "We have limited chips so we'll only use them if you really can't avoid a patrol." Maylu ordered as she kept an eye on a separate window she had opened up on her computer screen. She entered a srcheye subchip into her pet and the window sprang to life, giving a detailed map of about a hundred foot radius around Roll. Roll felt the subchip data pulse through her, but was a bit confused as to why Maylu used it.

"Maylu, don't those chips only detect viruses?" She asked as she rounded a corner to make her way into the second den area district.

"I modified the code in this one. It detects Navi energy signatures instead."

"Ooooh nice! That will help!" Roll was getting confident that things would go smoothly; she hadn't even run into a patrol yet.

"Look out!" Maylu suddenly shouted. Roll glanced back and forth and noticed an area behind a cyber tree that Maylu had highlighted to direct her there. Roll quickly dove behind the tree and peeked out from behind it. Two standard issue homeland security navis (Black body and face with sturdy sections of silver armor over the chest, shoulders, lower legs and head.) came into view. Roll quickly withdrew her head and stayed completely silent, waiting for them to pass. But she suddenly heard their footsteps ceased.

"What's up?" One of them said.

"I dunno… I'm picking up an energy reading nearby…"

_Oh shoot! _Roll thought to herself. _Gutsman could have mentioned that the patrols carry sensors!_

"It's coming from behind that tree!" The first one pointed. "Let's check it out…" They called forth their busters and advanced towards the tree slowly.

_Oh no… NO! I can't get caught right after I started!_ But there was little she could do.

"Huh? There's nothing here…" Said the soldier as Roll glanced up and was looking the officer right in the face.

"Is your scanner buggy?"

"Must be… it said there was something right here…"

Roll finally realized what was going on; Maylu had activated one of the invis chips. _Quick thinking Maylu…_ She thought as she gingerly moved from her spot, so as not to alert the navis of her presence. Once a safe distance away, she broke into a sprint and didn't stop until she passed into the next Den district. She stopped against a wall, panting from her frantic run.

"That was a bit too close for comfort…" Commented Maylu as the invis chip wore off, making Roll visible again.

"Nice going on that though… I thought I was caught for sure…" Said Roll as she stood upright and sighed.

"One thing's for sure… we have to be much more careful. Now we only have two more invis chips charged and ready."

"But Maylu, they have energy sensors… even if we do see them we'll have to use those chips to get past." Roll was right and Maylu knew it, but there had to be a way to avoid them.

"Roll, how far away were they when you first heard them mention your energy signature?" She questioned. Roll perked up and began calculating in her head.

"Um… I don't know… it looked like it was about fifty feet…"

"Fifty feet…" Maylu leaned back, resting her hands on the floor and closed her eyes. "Hmm….. Roll, keep moving on to Den district three, I'll see what I can do…"

"What about the map?" Roll didn't want any surprises.

"I've got it open in a separate window; I'll keep an eye on it." Maylu reassured her as she sat up and began typing away on her keyboard. Roll nodded and obeyed, continuing down the road. She was in the clear for a while, but being on the side paths made the journey seem much longer. They had started in district seven; she was now in district twelve, and moving towards fourteen. From there she could connect to district three, where the transfer to Yumland was located. Luck was on her side as she managed to reach district fourteen without hitting any patrols. As she stepped over the district border, Roll felt a small jolt in her body and Maylu's voice chimed in.

"Roll I modified the srcheye chip code."

"I know, I felt it… what did you do?"

"It now shows a fifty foot radius around all incoming threats. I'm not sure if that's how the sensors work, but it's better than nothing."

"I agree. Thanks."

"Oh shoot. Roll, incoming at twelve o'clock. Eighty feet and closing."

"Argh…" Roll grunted as she glanced back and forth.

"Quick, the side road on your left! Take it and proceed to the point I've marked, it should be outside our proposed radius. Go!" Maylu ordered. Roll didn't waste a second in finding the side road, she could see Maylu's beacon down behind some abandoned data boxes. Roll sprinted down the road and crouched behind them. Maylu kept an eye on the screen and the radius past a few feet by Roll's position, but there was no visible reaction from the patrol. Once they were a safe distance away, Maylu gave Roll the all clear.

"Looks like you thought right." Roll complimented as she made her way back to the main road.

"This should give us a smoother trip as long as we have enough room to maneuver… Now let's keep going." She gave Roll a nod and the pink navi continued on her path. They made it to district three, running into two patrols along the road, both of which were successfully avoided thanks to Maylu's fifty foot theory. However, their smooth travels came to an end once they reached the net boarder.

"Seven… Eight… Nine… yikes, Maylu there are over ten navis posted…" Roll explained as she peeped out from around a corner towards the foreign gateway. Sure enough, the boarder was heavily guarded, with navis ranging in the double digits.

"Looks like we'll have to use another invis chip…"

"Wait…" Roll cut off Maylu.

"What is it?" Maylu changed to Roll's visuals and looked where Roll was pointing. Net devices. They looked to be some sort of machinery.

"Didn't Gutsman tell us about those?" Maylu took a closer look as her Navi questioned. She took a good look at the devices; they were small silver boxes with a monitor attached and a small dish antenna. Dex had mentioned something in the past called Universal Frequency Radar, a net device that could pick up and frequency, even those hidden from visual perception.

"Roll I think those are UFR's… this isn't good." Maylu leaned back and placed her thumb and index finger over her upper lip in deep thought.

"The invis chip's won't work will they…" Roll crossed her arms and leaned against the wall she was peeping around. "Those things can emit a frequency that cancels the waves of the invis energy… Any ideas?"

"Hold on, I'm thinking…" Maylu continued to run possibilities though her head, but it seemed like there was nothing that would get them through unnoticed. "Well…" She began. "The only thing I can think of is to make use of your speed." Roll pushed off the wall and stood up straight.

"I'm listening…"

"From what I remember Dex telling us, the detection radius for those things is pretty wide… and with three of them the effect could be boosted… so here's the plan… we're going to use one of the invis chips anyway. I want you to back up from where you are as far as you would need to reach your top speed. Hopefully you are fast enough that by the time they catch your signal and nullify the invisibility, you will either be long gone, or at least way out of their reach." Maylu finished and stared at Roll.

"Well… that's pretty reckless… but hey we're already out here doing this so I guess reckless doesn't mean much anymore… okay, I'll give it a shot… I'll do anything if it means seeing Mega again." With a reassuring nod from her operator, Roll began walking backwards from her position, taking note of the distance and her knowledge of her own speed. She stopped roughly thirty yards from her original spot. "Okay Maylu… Ready."

"Go for it Roll, I'll activate the chip at the last moment to give you as much time as possible… Whatever you do… don't slow down."

"Roger that… here I go!" Roll broke into a steady jog for the first five yards and picked up gradually into a sprint. When she hit her original position she left the ground, and streaked through the air using her own hovering abilities. Maylu activated the second invis chip just as Roll left the ground. It was obvious that her frequency was spotted, because as she passed the guards were frantically looking at the monitor at a green dot that just sped past their position them at high speeds. Unfortunately for her; she was only ten yards past when the counter wave pulsed over her, revealing her in an instant.

"HEY!!! STOP RIGHT THERE!!!" She heard behind her. But Maylu's words echoed in her mind.

_Whatever you do… don't slow down._ And she didn't. She could hear buster fire behind her and energy blasts zipped by her. Then she heard a large echoing sound that sounded like a cannon. She glanced over the shoulder and saw a net artillery cannon blast hurling towards her. There was no way she could dodge it. The destructive radius of net artillery was wider than she could manage a dodge, but she trusted Maylu, and kept running straight ahead. The trust was well defined, because a counter guard shield appeared in front of Roll. The instant she saw it; she turned around just in time. The blast collided with the shield, successfully preventing her from being damaged and sent a massive shockwave across the ground back towards the guard post. The guards all ducked for cover as the wave cut straight through the artillery cannon and blasted it into specs of data.

"SORRY!!!" Roll yelled towards them as she continued on their course. The guards watched her disappear with confused looks on their faces.

"Sorry?" One of them repeated to the guard captain in bewilderment.

"Maybe she isn't dangerous… just wanted to get through." Another said as he surveyed the scattered data of the cannon. He was smacked upside the head by the captain.

"Focus you idiots! It doesn't matter who she is or what she wants to do, she shouldn't be on the net in the first place, she successfully eluded us, and destroyed a net defense mechanism. These are all federal offenses. Contact the Yumland patrol force and let them know there's a pink intruder on the loose… She is armed and dangerous… and should be deleted on sight.

---To Be Continued---

* * *

oh yeah, a long time passes just like that, but hey thats the way i planned this. So Maylu and Roll are in quite a predicament now, since the whole Yumland security force will be on their tail. Will they make it to Fort Liberty? If they do will they see their respective men? I guess we'll find out whenever i get the next chapter up.

As for the next update, i can never make any guarentees anymore, my time gets swallowed up like dustmites on a rug on cleaning day. So i have no date, just hopefully it wont be as long as before. I might end up making my starfox story part of my cycle, but i'm not sure yet cause that will make it take me extra time for all of them.

But yeah, whatever happens happens, but one thing is for sure. Those of You who read review my stories are amazing. I love everyone of ya.

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!


	9. How Far Would You Go? part 2

Hey all! Managed to buckle down and get another chapter out before i dissapear for Semester exams. I'll continue work again as soon as summer vacation begins. I won't waste your guys time though lets get onto it!

Anyway, here is the ninth installment of Love Knows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_Thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me talking)

enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

Written by: Flashgunner

Ch. 9: How Far Would You Go? (Part 2)

Roll slowed down and touched back to the ground, letting out a sigh of relief while leaning against a wall. She had successfully passed over the border into the Yumland net district. The design of the net seemed a bit older compared to the Den area, the biggest difference being that the road seemed to resemble a red metallic walkway as opposed to Den area's light blue circuit board design.

"Good work Roll…" Maylu's complemented as she leaned back on her floor pillow. "Hopefully we can avoid stuff like that from here on out…"

"Good timing on the guard by the way…" Roll Commented as she stood up straight and peeked around the corner down the road.

"No problem… comes natural after all these years… any sign of danger?" She asked as her navi surveyed the immediate area.

"I don't see anything… but… we may have a problem." Roll's conclusion caught Maylu's attention.

"Should I be confused or alarmed?"

"Possibly both… Yumland must've been redone since we've last been here… 'cause I don't recognize a single road…"

"Great…" Maylu sighed. "I'm gonna have to navigate for you… watch out for patrols… **and** keep you from harm all at the same time…"

"Well sorry… it's not like I can do anything about it." Roll huffed.

"I know, I'm not angry at you… it's just this is challenging enough as is…" She pulled up a detailed map of the area and studied it, making sure to keep the window small enough so she could still observe the srcheye map. "Well it's not as complicated as it used to be… but the side roads aren't very secluded…"

"Meaning if I have to dodge a patrol it'll be tough to find a decent hiding spot… lovely…" Roll commented and stepped out onto the main road, which immediately split in two. "Alright Maylu, I'm all ears."

"Okay then…" Maylu continued tracing the route. "Oh! Looks like one good thing has come from this… the distance from here to Yumsquare has been cut down by almost half what I used to be… we're really only one district away from the entrance… so take a right."

_That's good…_ Roll thought as she followed Maylu's directions. After she made her way a good distance down the road, she stopped at an intersection. "Maylu?"

"Take a left." Her operator commanded. Roll nodded and peeked around the corner… and was looking right into the visor of an old style orange and silver default navi with its arm morphed into a longsword.

"Oh boy…" Roll said to herself as she quickly jumped back. The navi jumped around the corner and yelled at Roll in Yumish. Roll didn't understand a word, but two more navi's appeared behind him, another with a sword and one with a buster. "Maylu! Help!"

"Wha…?" Maylu pulled up Roll's view. "Huh?! Patrols?!"

"I thought you were keeping an eye on the radar!"

"I am… there's… nothing showing up!" Maylu frantically glanced between the radar and the view screen. Roll dove to the right as the navi with the buster fired at her followed by the two others charging.

"They're attacking?! Hey! Wait! I'm not Netopian!!!" She ducked and did a handspring back as the two took swipes at her.

"Roll you gotta get out of there!" Maylu ordered while scanning the map for an escape route.

"Well you're the one with the map! And a chip would probably help too!"

"One thing at a time Roll! I'm working on it!" Maylu quickly activate the second guard chip, right as one of the Navi's swung his sword. The shield materialized in front of roll, successfully blocking the attack and sending the navi flying with the shockwave counter. The navi flew into the other with the buster, toppling both of them to the floor. The third navi glanced between the navis and Roll and put his free hand up to the side of his head, speaking in an alarmed tone.

"Uh oh... Maylu I think he's calling for backup! I need a way out of here fast!"

"Okay... lemme see......" She glanced at the chips she had left. One invis2, three guards, one barrier100, two areasteals, and one rock cube. She was worried that the last invis chip would be more useful later so she quickly improvised. "Roll! Jump!" She ordered. The navi complied without question, knowing it was probably part of the plan. Maylu activated the first areasteal chip, sending Roll surging past the navi. As she halted and touched down behind him, she took off down the road as fast as she could. Maylu navigated her around the next two corners, where she stopped to take a breather.

"Something's wrong... why would they attack on sight?" Roll questioned out loud as she crouched down against the road corner.

"I don't know..." Began Maylu. "But I think I figured out why I couldn't detect them..."

"Oh?" Roll perked up.

"Foreign design signature... I didn't take into account code structure from other countries when I tinkered with the srcheye chip..."

"So... we can't detect them..."

"Looks like it..." Maylu scratched her head. "We're gonna have to move carefully."

"Roger..." Roll glanced around the corner, but quickly retracted. "Shoot!! I have a group heading this way!" She exclaimed. Maylu's head snapped to the area map.

"Duck behind the side road ten meters behind you!"

"Where...?" Roll turned around and saw an alley. "Ah!" She sprinted towards it, turned in, and pressed her back up against the wall. She held her breath as the footsteps grew louder and louder. Seven navis ran right past the alley no more than a foot from her. She stiffened and held in a shriek as they all ran by, but luckily, none of them noticed her against the wall. She exhaled loudly and fell on her rear as the last of them turned the other corner. "Oh my god... that was terrifying..."

"Roll! Did you notice something?" Maylu chimed in.

"What? That half of my source code burst there?" She replied sarcastically as she tried to regain her composure.

"No Roll be serious... even though they passed right next to you, none of them detected you!" Maylu's revelation caught Roll's attention.

"Wait... you're right!"

"Which means... they don't have the same detection technology..." Maylu stated, going through the implications.

"But one thing is for certain... they must be on high alert for me... I bet the border guard sent a warning." Roll added.

"So it looks like we've gained both an advantage and disadvantage... they are on high alert, which will mean more patrol dodging... but they don't have energy detectors, so they are as blind as us..." As Maylu contemplated the circumstances Roll stepped out and returned to the corner she was previously peeking around.

"All clear now... Maylu how much farther?" Her question snapped Maylu from her rambling.

"Ah, yes..." She checked the map again. "Wow... believe it or not we're almost there..."

"That's good, where to from..." She was cut off as she heard a familiar foreign voice. She spun around to see the seven navis that had just past her accompanied by the one she left behind earlier on. He was pointing at her and the navi's were drawing swords and busters. "Uh oh…" She turned and made a break down the road, the sound of shouting and buster fire echoing behind her with energy blasts zipping past.

"I don't like that noise Roll, did they find you?" Maylu switched to visuals and saw Roll sprinting away from weapon fire.

"Gee! What tipped you off?!"

"No time to lose our focus Roll!" She glanced at the map. "Turn left!" The pink navi took a hard left, almost slipping as her momentum tried to pull her elsewhere.

"Maylu! Use the rock cube!" Roll shouted.

"Ah! Good idea!" Maylu followed her navi's suggestion, activating the lone rock cube chip in their inventory. A large block materialized behind Roll and crashed down to the road, effectively blocking off access in the direction she had turned. "That should hold them for a bit, keep going!"

"Okay!" Roll complied, but as she turned the next corner, a hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck, forcing her to the opposite wall. "Ahh!!" She yelped as her back slammed against it. She opened her eyes and saw another group of Yumland patrol navis, one of which had her by the neck, against the wall, with his sword in her face.

"Roll!!!" Maylu cried out as she witnessed the scene unfold. Roll thrashed and squirmed, trying to pry the navi's arms off her neck, but his grip was too strong. He yelled something in Yumish before rearing back his blade.

_NO!!!_

_ROLL!!!!!_

They're thoughts were in unison.

The navi was thrown back as an aura of white light exploded around Roll. Maylu opened her eyes to see the Yumland network through Roll's. The navi who had previously had a grip on her yelled something to his comrades, who all took aim with busters. Roll, hopped up and planted her feet on the wall behind her. She pushed off, rocketing herself towards the clump of navies. With two outstretched hands she shoved the two in front right back into the others, knocking down every single navi. With a quick flip, she landed and bolted down the road at twice the speed she had before.

_Roll, it's not far…_ Maylu thought.

_I think I see it…_ Roll's thoughts echoed back.

Indeed, a little ways away from them was an elevated structure with a ramp leading up to it. A nearby billboard pointed towards it. It was written in a different language, but the two assumed they were right. The made it to the base of the ramp and rocketed up towards the top, but as they got halfway, automated cannons appeared.

_Oh no!!!_ Maylu thought.

_Maylu! Turn back!!!_

Maylu tried to stop, but she was already within the cannons range. They opened fire. She shielded herself with her arms and heard explosions, but there was no pain. She opened her eyes to see a purple barrier surrounding her. The barrier100 had activated. She wasn't sure how, but this was the chance she needed. The linked partners made a break up the ramp, the barrier taking all the punishment for them. As they neared the top alarm claxons could be heard.

_Oh shoot… I didn't think of this!_

_What's wrong Maylu?_

_Roll they think we're attacking!!_

_We need to find Mega! I'm sure he can stop them!_

_If he's alive…_

They reached the top, and as she thought, navi's were pouring from the square frantically as if readying for an attack.

_I… I don't know what to do!_

_Maylu! We have to get out of sight!_

_Out… of… sight…_ The thought was immediately followed by the activation of the final invis chip. After looking over herself Maylu put two and two together. _I get it! Thoughts activate stored chips!_

_That's nice Maylu, now let's move before the invis wears off!_

_Oh yeah! Sorry!_

The two sprinted for the base, passing soldiers and security navis who were frantically looking around for the intruder. They slipped right into the net compound. It was a net structure erected right in the middle of the square, surrounded by four high walls about forty yards long and fifteen feet high each.

_I've got to find him… I've GOT to find him!_ Roll thought as the two zipped from room to room among the soldiers who were stationed within the walls. But no matter how many rooms they peeked into, there was no sign of Megaman.

_Please… PLEASE let him be here…_ Maylu prayed as time on their invis was running dangerously short.

Alas… it dissipated. The soldiers were suddenly aware of her presence and all charged at her. She leapt over all of them onto one of the walls and scanned the crowd chasing her from high up, trying to possibly pick Megaman out, but he was nowhere to be seen and the moment she paused proved to be her downfall. A buster shot from one of the navi's impacted on the wall right beside her. The explosion threw her off balance and she toppled over the edge, falling down to the ground. A few of the soldiers immediately pinned her to the ground.

"Keep her down! Don't let her get loose!" One of them yelled. Confirming to her that she had in fact found Electopian soldiers.

"Argh! Let me go!!!" Roll yelled as she wiggled about, trying to free herself.

_Roll!!!_ Maylu thought as she too tried to squirm free from the soldiers holding them down. And then…

"Stop."

A single word made all the navi's freeze. Roll couldn't see over them, but the crowd of Navi's surrounding her had all turned and saluted.

"What's going on here?" The voice. It suddenly hit Roll faster than the speed of light. She knew the voice. She could never forget it.

"Lieutenant! We've subdued the intruder!" She watched as the group parted and a very familiar blue figure stepped towards her. He only got halfway down the aisle when he laid eyes on Roll and froze. The two locked eyes and time seemed to slow down as he registered what he was really seeing.

"Sir…?" Said a navi beside him. "Are you… alright…?" His expression suddenly became scrunched and harsh.

"Get off of her!" The navi's holding her down all looked at him like he was crazy. "**NOW!**" The navi's twitched and quickly obeyed, removing themselves from Roll and allowing her to stand up.

"Mega…" She said as she stood up, thinking he would smile and welcome her. But his expression didn't lift. He looked very angry.

"Corporal." He commanded sternly.

"Sir?" A navi behind him chimed in.

"Cancel the alert… She isn't an enemy."

"Yes sir…" The corporal turned and made his way towards the control tower.

"Everyone back to your posts!" The navis dispersed on cue, leaving the two standing there as the rest went about their business. "Come with me…" He ordered and turned his back to her. She stared at his back for a moment before quickly following him. He led her into a link, which she followed him through, bringing them into what used to be the yumsquare message board module, with just a few supply boxes sitting around. He turned to her and sat down on one of the boxes. She stood still a few meters away, wondering what to do. Sure she and Maylu were adamant about reaching him, but they didn't know what to do from there.

Suddenly he let out a heavy sigh and bent down, putting a hand over his eyes. "Roll… what are you doing here…?" The question caught her off guard.

"Um…" She intertwined her hands behind her back and began drawing circles on the floor with her foot. "I…" She really didn't know what to say.

"We wanted to see you two." Maylu cut in, grabbing Megaman's attention. The image of Maylu split slightly off of Roll. "That's… really all it is." Megaman blinked a few times and glared.

"You DO realize how many laws and regulations you've broken… all of which are worthy of you two becoming felons…"

"I damn well knew the risk I took!" Both Roll and Megaman were shocked to hear Maylu snap at him. "But guess what? We're here now… we've been depressed out of our minds since the two of you left… we've been empty, we've been nothing… so when we heard of you two possibly being near we HAD to come see you… You've known us long enough, you should KNOW that we would do anything to see you two." She put her hands on her hips, with an absolute look on her face. "And by the way… that was a REAL nice way to greet Roll after not seeing her for a year…" Megaman's eyes widened for a moment, but went right back. He hung his head, grumbling.

"Look, I'm sorry, but this isn't like other times… things have changed, you can't just waltz around without getting into trouble… I'm just concerned about the shit you two could be in because of this…" He shifted on the box and turned his back. "But… I am glad to see you Roll…" He didn't look at her. Roll brought the knuckled of her index finger to her lips, a nervous habit she had developed whenever confused or distraught. But then something came to her.

"Maylu… release full synchro."

"No, I want to see Lan."

"**Maylu.**" Roll stated her name harshly. "Lan is obviously within reach, but I need a moment." Maylu went silent, but she was linked with her navi, so she could understand what Roll needed.

"Fine… just let me know when you're done." Maylu's image faded and the soft glow coming from Roll's emblem faded as well. When Roll could no longer sense any trace of Maylu, she stared straight at Megaman's back.

"Mega…" She said softly and began advancing towards him. "You **are** still there right?"

"What?" He began without turning. "Roll of course I'm still here."

"Are you really?" She stopped beside the box and sat down with their backs facing each other. "Because you seem so different."

"Well we **are** at war here Roll, it's not the same as net crime… it's very traumatizing… I don't know how many times I've…"

"Are you sure that's why?" Megaman stopped cold. He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

"Roll… what are you…" He was cut off as Roll shifted herself and moved her body right up against his back. She snaked one arm around his waist and the other around his neck, her hands meeting at a diagonal across his chest. He flinched hard at first and completely tensed up.

"See? You are definitely not here… you need to relax."

"Roll, stop this isn't…"

"No Mega… now do as I say." She interjected. Sighing in defeat, Megaman relaxed, slouching slightly to fit directly into her body.

"Doesn't that feel better?" She didn't receive a response in the form of words. Megaman reached up and clasped his hands around hers.

"Roll… I've missed you… so much…" His words mixed with the somber tone of voice struck her like a bolt of lightning.

"M…Mega…" She could almost feel him quivering.

"I've felt… so empty without you… but there's no way around it because of this god damn war!" He tightened his grip around her hands. "I'm still a little angry that you came all the way out here because of the dangers of even attempting such an act, but……" He removed her hands from him and stood up. He turned to her and outstretched his arms. She registered the offer and stood up, moving into his arms. He closed them around her and squeezed her tightly. "…I'm just so… so… glad to see you…" Roll returned his embrace, feeling something she hadn't felt in a whole year. Something she had missed dearly. "Roll… if I had it my way, I'd be back in ACDC Town… but…"

"I know…" She finished for him. "In a way this is like the other times… you have a job to do and you won't rest until it's fulfilled… right?"

"See? This is what I missed… someone that understands me as well as you do…" They broke from the hug. "Now I believe Maylu has someone she needs to see…" Roll was a little frustrated. She wanted more time to cheer him up, but it was clear now that he had problems to deal with on his own. She nodded with a smile and backed off from him.

"Maylu?" She called. There was no direct response, but a white flash emitted from Roll, followed by her navi emblem lighting up. An image of Maylu split slightly from Roll.

"I'm here." She said, her voice laced with uncertainty and anxiety.

"Okay then…" Megaman turned away from them. "Megaman to Lan, come in Lan." He called out, but there was no response. "Hmm… one second." Megaman traced a window with his hand, it opened into his Pet view screen. "Wow, this is a bit ironic, LAN WAKE UP!" Maylu glanced over his shoulder to see a figure fall out of a cot. Then Maylu heard a voice she had longed to hear again.

"Ugh… Come on Hub, I haven't been getting enough sleep as is, what is it?"

"Just come over here." Lan approached the Pet and his face appeared in the window. Maylu gasped when she saw him, one because it was Lan, but two because of his appearance. His hair was longer, and without the headband half of it hung down in front of his right eye. His hair also slightly concealed a scar that slashed between his eyes and over his nose. He had another smaller scar on his left cheek.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Go into Full Synchro." Megaman ordered.

"Why? Can't you just show me?" His voice didn't have the usual color to it. Maylu was beginning to worry.

"No. Trust me; you need to see this up close." The blue navi repeated. Lan sighed.

"Fine." The window disappeared, a moment and a white flash later, Megaman's emblem gave of a soft glow. An image of Lan split off Megaman, both of them still with their backs turned to Maylu and Roll.

"Okay, what do you have…" They turned around and Lan's eyes grew wide when they lay on Maylu. "…here…" He finished with his mouth hanging open. They both stood completely still as if time had frozen in place. Lan blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "M…Maylu…?" He glanced back and forth. "Wha…what's going on here…? My head is messing with me again!" He smacked himself on the side of the head.

_He thinks… I'm an illusion?_ "Lan…"

"Ah!!!" He backed up a step. "Now it's talking to me!"

"For pity's sake Lan…" Megaman chimed in as Lan's hysteric movements made him move as well. "Get a grip! You aren't dreaming!" Megaman forced control of his right arm away from Lan, and punched himself in the cheek.

"Ow!!" Lan yelped.

"Lan. **THEY. ARE. HERE.**" Megaman's words sunk deep and Lan looked back at Maylu. The punch in the face would have clearly woken him if he was dreaming. Maylu was still standing there, a split image off of Roll. She looked as if the situation was very awkward and uncomfortable.

"Oh god…" Lan said under his breath as he slowly moved Megaman closer to Roll and Maylu. "Maylu…? Is it really you?"

"Yes…" She nodded. "Hey Lan." That did it, Lan rushed up, and made Megaman hug Roll, the image of Lan hugging Maylu.

"Maylu!!!" He yelled out. Maylu was definitely not expecting this at all. She half expected him to be as bitter as Megaman, but it seemed as though, unlike his brother, Lan had managed to keep a better hold on his past-self. "Oh Maylu… you're here… you're actually here…" She hugged him back (Or made Roll return the hug to Megaman), but without any blushing or giddiness. There would be a time for girlish reactions, but the times called for a different sort of affection.

"Lan…" She said his name as he released her and held her at arm's length.

"Maylu… how in the **world** did you get here?"

"Well… heh…"

"They broke a lot of wartime laws." Megaman chimed. Lan cocked an eyebrow.

"Wait, you avoided patrols and snuck in?"

"No there were a few confrontations…" Maylu explained.

"You **attacked** them?!" Lan remarked, alarmed.

"No no! We ran and used a few defensive chips! We never actually engaged in combat."

"Okay good…" Lan sighed in relief. "If I can get you out of here without any higher ups getting word of it then you'll be fine." He explained, but she grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Hey! Don't talk about me leaving after I came all this way to see you!"

"Oh… sorry." He smiled and scratched the back of his head.

_He hasn't changed much… that's a relief…_

"Hey Hub…" Lan called to his brother after a brief pause.

"Yes Lan?" The navi called back.

"Go into standby mode… I need to talk with Maylu privately…"

"Very well…" Megaman complied.

"What is he doing?" Maylu asked.

"Oh I never told you… if Roll goes into standby while you are synched, you get full control of her body… it's basically like physically being in cyberspace… I suggest you do it, I really want to talk alone…" He explained. Maylu returned a nod and gave the order to Roll. The pink navi complied and said to call her when they were done.

"There… now we're alone." Maylu said as she swung her arms around and took a few steps to get the feel of full control.

"Yeah…" Lan trailed off, followed by a long painful drought of speech. Eventually Maylu began.

"It's been so lonely without you… I don't even want to tell you how pathetic I've been lately… until I heard you'd possibly be near I've been a wreck… I've even yelled at Yai a few times…" She trailed off momentarily. "Say, you've kept yourself relatively similar… what's up with Megaman?"

"He's… not taking this well… The war has been heavy on him… we've been forced to delete a few navi's we've battled against in the past… not only that, but it's been quite a bit different. A lot of death and destruction… I may seem fine, but I'm almost as frustrated as he is…"

"Hmm…" She nodded, then reached up and touched the scar on his cheek. "How did you get these?"

"Colonel…" he responded singularly.

"What?! I honestly can't believe the Baryl thinks the new Netopian president's word is worth following…"

"Baryl follows orders, as does Colonel… it was inevitable that we would fight… we were lucky to have a retreat called on both ends, otherwise one of us would've been dead… but hey how about at home? How much does everyone hate me?" He joked.

"Well Dex was beyond pissed off, but after he helped put down a covert Netopian virus strike, he became a captain for the homeland security force."

"Wait! That was Dex?!" Maylu gave him a nod. "No way! I heard someone in ACDC town became a captain for saving the homeland security… but I had no idea it was Dex! That's amazing!"

"But…" She cut in. Her sullen expression clueing him in that it wasn't all good. "As he defended them he… achieved Full Synchro…" Lan was surprised to hear this, but this also meant something bad had happened to Dex because of it.

"Oh man… was he hurt?" He asked.

"He… lost his right eye…" She answered. Lan winced heavily.

"Lost… an eye…? That's awful…"

"Hasn't slowed him down a bit though. He's matured."

"Well I don't expect anyone to be the same after this…" Lan trailed off, leaving them in silence for a few moments.

"You know you really are a jerk for leaving us." Maylu said in a light hearted tone with a smile on her face.

"Oh don't be like that… you know why I left…"

"I know, but you also broke my heart…"

"Huh?" Lan had to make a double take. She looked him in the eye. "Oh…" He knew exactly what she was talking about. It was the promise. "Maylu… I just didn't want… I mean…"

"You didn't want to break the promise by getting killed." She finished for him. "I know that's what you said… but that was probably the stupidest thing you ever said."

"What? But Maylu…" She put a finger to his mouth.

"No buts, you broke a promise so the best way to make up for it is to make a new one." Lan stood there with his eyes locked on her, keeping silent even after she removed the finger from his lips. "Lan Hikari…" She reached forward and hugged him, nestling herself into his body in a way more affectionately than she had ever done in the past. Even though they were using the bodies of their navi's she could still feel him through the synch, and she wasn't going to pass up the chance. "…Promise me that you won't let this war change who you are, but most of all, please come back to us alive. Can you do that for me?" Lan was still slightly surprised at the amount of physical contact she was using, but her words cleared his mind and he hugged her back.

"That's two promises." He said with a smile, earning a poke in the side.

"Very funny… but you see? Like this… don't change."

"I won't… and fine… I promise I'll make it back."

"I'm holding you to that Lan." She tightened her grip on him.

"When have I ever let you down?" He joked again as she let go of him.

"I don't have time to go into specifics…" She answered with a smirk. "But in cases like these, you haven't." They smiled at each other.

"Lan, routine security check rounds have commenced… I suggest getting them out of here before they come across us." Megaman suddenly interrupted.

"Thanks Hub." Lan looked directly at Maylu. As megaman went back into standby mode. "Okay, I hate to say it, but I you guys need to go."

"I understand…" Maylu said with a sigh and hung her head. Lan's expression lost its color, he never did like seeing her down.

"Maylu… I WILL hold this promise…" He reached forward, his image tilting up the chin of Maylu's with his thumb and index finger. "I've come to realize a few things while I've been here… I joined the battle because I believed it was for the best, and it was what I needed to do in order to keep the world from destroying itself… but…" He paused, but never took his eyes off hers. "There are things that I left behind that mean just as much if not more than the world to me… my friends, my family, specifically you…" Her heart skipped a beat. She had realized her love for him back when he left, but she was purposely holding off knowing how it might affect him in his current.

"Lan…" They way he singled her out while explaining what he treasures made her so happy that she was brought to the brink of tears.

"You coming here has intensified the need to survive and return… because… I've come to see how much you mean to me…" This time he **only **mentioned her. "So this promise will be held… and I will never break a promise to you again…" He leaned down while pulling her forward… and kissed her. Maylu wasn't shocked or surprised. It was almost as if she knew he would kiss her. She closed her eyes and fell right in, letting a single tear of joy escape her right eye. It didn't matter that they were technically not kissing. The full synchro made every touch, every feeling, even the warmth feel real. The synched connection with their navis allowed them to share this much needed intimate moment. Lan broke away and opened his eyes. Maylu kept hers closed and let out a content sigh.

"Was that to seal it?" She said with a smile and slowly opened her eyes.

"That, and it felt necessary." His response made her giggle.

"Always leaping before you look…" She stepped passed him. "But thank you…" Lan smiled as she passed and turned to her.

"Alright… Hub? I want you to lead them out of the square… from there they can disconnect." Lan ordered as Megaman reclaimed half control of his body.

"Alright…" He responded solemnly.

"I'll see you back in ACDC…" Lan smiled and gave her a wink. "Later…" His image disappeared and Megaman's emblem dimmed.

"Bye…" Maylu whispered.

"Maylu… you might as well release too, I'll make sure Roll gets out." Megaman explained.

"Okay… Roll! Come on back." Roll returned.

"Yes?"

"Megaman will lead you out… I'll be waiting for you at home."

"Got it…" She complied while glancing at Megaman.

"Leave him be Roll." Maylu chimed in through their private channel. "Lan told me he's been through a lot." Roll nodded.

"I know… I've already figured that out." Maylu's image dissipated and Roll regained full control.

Maylu opened her eyes to see her computer monitor right in front of her. She glanced back and forth as she replayed the events that had just occurred in her head. She put a hand to her lips and lightly brushed them while blushing.

_Lan Hikari… you better be ready when you come back… cause we have a lot of new things to do… _She covered her face with her hands and let out a girlish sigh while falling onto her back.

And so the journey was a success. Maylu and Roll were able to see they're lost loves. The war went on and nothing changed on the home front. Roll was constantly worried about the state she had last seen Megaman in. And Maylu of coursed worried day by day, for her encounter with Lan sealed the fact that the two would come together once reunited and become a larger part of each other's lives.

Another year passed. News of the battlefront came little by little through Dex. But for the most part it seemed that not much had ever changed.

But as if out of nowhere one day, a mass news cast spread all over the locked down world.

The war was over.

Neither side was defeated, but the truth had been revealed. Dimir was forced from his position for misjudgment of circumstances and starting a war, and elections were already taking place. Word had it that two of the three Navi's who committed the crime had been found and deleted, but one escaped. Colonel declared the search a job for Netopian security, so the battle weary soldiers and navis who had survived the war made their way home.

War is cruel and unprecedented. Many lost their lives, and when word hit the home front that the cause of the war was a huge misunderstanding, it angered many. Peace was reestablished, but the war had left its mark, making that peace unstable and shaky. It would be some time before the nations could fully trust each other again, but there were people willing to try and carry on the work of Netopia's former champion of peace, President Richard Hall.

At this time, friends and family gathered at the ACDC station, awaiting a train from Sharo.

"It should be here any minute…" Said Dex as he stared at his watch. The draft from the tunnel blew the collar of his trench coat into his face, and he quickly grabbed it, readjusting it to his shoulder. Dex had changed a lot over the course of the war. He still had his eye patch, but he had grown taller and managed to lose a lot of weight while on the job with the security force. He was still big bodied, but it was more out of muscle as opposed to fat. "It's too bad Sean and Tory couldn't make it… I'm sure Lan would like all of his friends to greet him…"

"Oh…. I can't wait…" Yai fiddled with a strand of her hair as she nearly bounced in her seat. She had hit a growth spurt in the past year. She was almost as tall as Maylu, had cut her hair to her upper back, and her voice had become less child-like and more lady like. She was wearing a larger version of her old favorite red dress, which she insisted on being made because she missed wearing it.

"We know Yai, you almost exploded when we got that message from Chaud…" She turned to Maylu, who was standing near the tracks with her eyes locked down the line. "I just hope Lan made it out too…" Maylu had fully matured. Those who know her would agree that she had become an extremely beautiful young woman. She was wearing a tight pink polo shirt with the buttons mostly undone and a pair of short jean shorts, both of which hugged her feminine figure nicely. She had her favorite black, knee length socks on, and her soft red hair had grown down to almost her waist, swaying gently with the breeze that slowly flowed through the station. Her face was literally flawless down to her pretty eyelashes and rosy lips.

"Of course Lan made it… He's indestructible remember?" Yai commented as she continued to slightly bounce.

"Yeah…" _And he promised…_ "Hmm?" Two dim lights appeared in the tunnel and got brighter and brighter. "Here it comes!" Maylu yelled out, clasping her hands together, more eager than ever to see Lan, this time in the flesh. The rest moved closer to the platform. Yuuichiro and Haruka had made their way over as well.

"Oh… I hope Lan is alright…" Haruka clung to Yuuichiro's shoulder.

"He better be… I never got the chance to scold him for running off like that." Yuuichiro sighed. "But then again, he had good intentions like always, so I don't see what's to argue, besides his rashness…" Maylu smiled as she heard them talking. She knew Lan was alright, he always found a way to make it through things. The train came to a complete stop with a quiet hiss and the doors slid open. Many men and women, both young and old made their way off the train; most of them were transferring trains to Den City, but a few were breaking off to meet friends and family of ACDC town. The group noticed a lot of familiar faces, but Yai caught glimpse of silver and black hair.

"CHAUD!!!!" She squealed and bolted into the crowd. Maylu and Dex both turned and watched Yai nearly plowed through a few people as she sprinted for him. She finally reached him and literally jumped on him. Chaud of course awkwardly received her hyper hug and tried to keep his balance with all the duffle bags he was carrying.

"Okay! Okay! Yai I missed you too, just please lighten up a bit, I'm carrying a lot here!" he remarked as she hopped off of him.

"Oh I **totally** missed you and your twenty-four-seven grouchy mood!" She happily joked while bouncing on her toes. He smirked.

"Good to see you're still as blunt as always…" The rest of the group finally made their way towards him and all stopped accept Maylu who continued passed and stood on her tiptoes to see over the crowd.

"Wellllll… look who managed to not get himself killed…" Dex snidely remarked as he approached Chaud.

"And you didn't listen to me, you stubborn lunk-head."

"Heh…" Dex pointed to his eye patch with his thumb. "It was lose an eye or lose a war… I think I made the right choice."

"For once I agree with you." Chaud finished right as Yai clutched him around the waist. "Yai, I'm not going anywhere, let me get settled before you squeeze me to death."

"I don't wanna!" She whined. Everyone laughed as the station cleared out. But something wasn't right.

"Chaud…" Maylu suddenly spoke up. Chaud's eyes grew wide momentarily, then sharpened as he realized what she was about to ask. "Where's… Lan…?" He grabbed Yai's arm and gently removed her from him, then turned to Maylu. He walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He's just coming back on another train right?" She turned and looked at him with a very desperate expression. "Right?!" She repeated louder. Everyone had their eyes on Chaud, especially Maylu, Haruka and Yuuichiro.

"Maylu…" He began in the now dead silent station. "Roughly two weeks ago… and a week before the war officially ended…" He paused for a long time. "Lan and Megaman went missing in action…"

---To be continued---

* * *

Oh i've done it now haven't I... but then again some of you should expect this because i've clearly been writing this story to be heavy on emotion and most of all to explore realms of storytelling that Capcom was afraid to touch when it came to these games.

Anyway, don't expect anything too quickly, i have exams coming up, so my full attention will be on them. But as soon as i pul through those i will continue work.

As always, i want to shout out to anyone and everyone of my readers and reviewers, you guys make the experience of writing so fulfilling and exciting. I'd be lost without you. You guys rock.

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!


	10. Man Left Behind

Hello folks, finally got another chapter done for this story. I apologize on the long waits in between chapters lately, i'll admit i've been a little lazy during the summer and have no excuse, so i will try to speed up things a bit. (I also apologize for the shortening of chapters, it was all i could afford to do with how much time they were taking me... i originally had a whole second part to this chapter, but when i realized how long it would take with my current lack of work ethic it would've been forever, so i split it up.)

Anyway, here is the tenth installment of Love Knows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(me talking)

enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

By: Flashgunner

Ch. 10: Man Left Behind

Upon the sudden news of Lan being MIA, everyone immediately pressed Chaud to tell them what happened and what was being done about it. None of them, of course, demanded as fiercely as Maylu, who was literally pulling at Chaud's jacket collar and shaking him. He quickly pulled away from them and requested that they calmed down, suggesting it would be better to discuss what happened in a more comfortable and private place. Dex offered his house, which was quickly agreed on due to the fact that his house was only a crosswalk away from the station.

In no more than five minutes they had made their way to Dex's house and all got settled in around the large half circle couch of his living room. Their Pets were all placed on the center coffee table so their Navi's could listen in as well.

"Okay… I'm sure my father wishes for me to be home so I'll keep this short but as detailed as possible." He was cut off before he could begin by the redhead sitting to his left.

"Missing in action means… he's still alive right…?" He glanced at Maylu, noticing her head was down and she sat with her knees together, her hands placed beside them. She looked vulnerable, like a gust of wind could knock her over despite how tightly she was gripping the cushion upon which she sat. He took a quick look at her Pet as well and noticed Roll sitting in a similar fashion while holding tight to Mouse.

"Missing in action means that we don't know if he's dead or alive, it could be either…" Chaud paused there, realizing that the answer definitely did not help the way she was feeling, so he quickly added on his half of the situation. "I believe he's still alive, but there is no way for us to know right now…" He paused again, but her expression remained so he sighed and took a small breath. "Okay then… it all began the day that the war officially ended… which unbeknownst to most of the world was actually a week before the official announcement made it to public news…"

…

…

_We had managed our first major push since the beginning of the war. One thing that the New Netopian President hadn't thought through was the economic strain on the nation. He was fighting a war against the rest of the world. As large and powerful as Netopia is, they were bound to run short on funds while the rest of the nations could support each other… The Military had landed on Netopia and was already setting up defense outposts, but they weren't going to move in until the cyberspace front had caught up to them. Protoman and I were with Lan and Megaman, moving to the frontlines to assist Searchman with a sneak attack at the front door to their cyberspace. Our intention was to shut down their military machinery and weaponry from their cyberspace so that our soldiers could advance to the capital to request a ceasefire for negotiations…_

"This must be the place…" Chaud said as he stepped out of the lead truck of a supply convoy, donning a green camouflage army jacket and matching slacks. "Lan! Let's move, we can end this war today if we hurry!"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Lan called from the truck behind as he jumped out wearing a similar outfit.

"Raika is waiting for us, but don't let your guard down, we're on Netopian soil." Chaud lectured him for his lack of seriousness.

"I know I know, let's just get moving!" They made their way through the defense post, the grass around them was torn up and trees were down. Signs of past fighting were all around them with the sound of explosions and artillery shells echoing through the air in the distance. Both the earth and its people alike felt the wounds of war.

They made it to the command tent, which was set up against an abandoned radio tower. Raika was within the tent waiting for them.

"You restored the connection?" He was speaking to an engineering officer as they entered.

"Affirmative sir!" The Electopian officer saluted.

"Okay okay... fine… I was just asking. Electopian soldiers are two quick to yell in someone's face…" He mumbled to himself as he began checking the run down systems.

"Raika, what's the situation?" Chaud immediately asked as they approached. The Sharo lieutenant faced them.

"Ah good, you've made it… Look at this. He motioned towards a rundown piece of radio frequency machinery. "Using this we'll be able to set our navis down just behind the enemy lines."

"Are we going to catch them from behind?" Lan questioned as he eyed the equipment.

"Of course not idiot… look." Chaud pointed to the machine, precisely towards the fact that there were only three transmission ports. "With just the three of us we'd be slaughtered in an instant."

"Well excuse me for not seeing the ports…" Lan rolled his eyes.

"Anyway…" Raika began before they could argue any more. "If we're lucky, they will be too focused on the frontlines to notice us… and if we're quick, then we can make it to the power station located near the entrance of Netopia's second net district.

"There's a power station **that** close to the border?" Chaud questioned in disbelief.

"It's one of the reasons most of their resources have been forced into the net front. That power station's systems have been an essential power supply during the fighting. If we can knock it out, they will be forced to fall back in the real world to due to lack of functioning equipment. With the added leverage, our forces on both fronts will be able to push in and have no problems marching the capital." Raika finished.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Lan drew the cord out of his Pet. "Let's end this war today."

"Sounds like a plan." Chaud commented as he and Raika mimicked him. The three plugged in and soon Megaman, Protoman, and Searchman touched down in a very run down and torn apart PC cyberspace.

"This place looks like it's going to collapse…" Searchman commented as Protoman immediately put a finger to his helmet to activate a modified scanning visor ability Chaud had recently installed.

"I'm not picking up anything in the immediate area." He said as he looked around.

"Good, let's go." Megaman began walking towards the portal without another word. Searchman glanced at Protoman, who only shook his head as they followed. As they stepped out of the recently reactivated portal, their ears were met with the intense and violent sounds of the battle going on close by. Searchman held his scope rifle at the ready while crouching and peering around the corner.

"Looks like we're in luck… Their completely focused on the battle…" He examined the front while Protoman glanced off in the other direction.

"Not entirely actually." He pointed out. Searchman turned to see a few standard Netopian soldiers placed here and their along their intended path. The all had a firm grip on their M1.6 buster rifles, signaling that they were quite aware of their surroundings.

"Looks like we might have to fight a tad… unless we find a way by…" Searchman turned to face them, and stole a quick glance at Megaman. "Comrade, are you feeling alright?" He questioned the blank stare Megaman had plastered to his visage. Protoman quickly grabbed Searchman by the arm, tugging him away as if to start their operation.

"Come on, let's not waste any time." Searchman gave him a confused look, but Protoman whispered to him as Megaman followed behind them. "Leave him be… the war has been hard on him. You know how he is, deleting navis without hesitation isn't his nature."

"Ah…" Searchman simply responded and left it there. The three Navis managed to sneak down the battered road for the most part. If any of the soldiers spotted them, Protoman was quick to silence them before they called for help. Eventually, the power station portal came into view.

"HEY!" But it was not without resistance, as they expected. The three were forced to fight through soldiers as they approached, but due to the main force being stationed on the frontlines, it was nothing the elite warriors couldn't hack and slash through. Once they had cleared the path, they all rushed for the portal, only to be stopped as a familiar, soldier-like Navi exited it. The head commander of Netopia's net forces, Colonel. The three screeched to a halt.

"Colonel!" Protoman called out, readying his sword.

"Step aside! I would not be so foolish to take on all three of us!" Searchman already had his scope targeting him. However, to their surprise Colonel held a hand up to his ear.

"All units. Back guards, frontlines, and everyone else… Cease fire and lay down your weapons."

"What…?" Searchman released the lock, moved his eye away from his rifle's scope, and stared at Colonel in disbelief. The background noise from the massive battle behind them slowly faded.

"What is the meaning of this?" Protoman kept his guard up, less curious more willing to talk with his sword.

"We surrender." Colonel began, causing more confusion, but he quickly explained. "You may not know, but internal affairs within the Netopian Legislative Branch have been in a long dispute about the war since its beginning. The political parties were split even amongst their own… but thanks to some recent under cover digging… our black ops agents uncovered the true cause of our former president's death. The House and Senate of the Legislature immediately went into unanimous agreement for surrender so we may halt the bloodshed in favor of going for the true cause. The vote was so one sided that not even Dimir's granted Executive powers could run against it, his veto was overruled, and he was immediately impeached for causing a war on his gut feeling instead of factual evidence." The three looked between each other.

"You don't expect us to believe you'd all just suddenly quit…" Protoman was unconvinced.

"Think whatever you want… my orders were to surrender, and then meet with your superiors to humbly request an end to the fighting along with assistance towards smiting those responsible for the assassination."

"Colonel, are you forgetting that we are at War?" Searchman began. "I doubt the allied countries would just be suddenly willing to work with the country that condemned them to death on a whim…" Colonel shook his head.

"The damage has been done, there is no denying that. We don't expect you to cooperate, but allow our vice president to meet with your leaders… for now he is the only one who can speak for our country."

…

…

"So just like that they threw in the towel?" Dex asked while adjusting his position on his couch. Chaud shrugged while tilting his head to the side.

"Sort of… There was evidence found pertaining to the innocence of the world towards Netopia's past tragedy, but not everyone was willing to accept it. Never the less, the Netopian vice president along with the speaker of the Netopian house of representatives attended a world leader gathering on Electopian soil. Despite Dimir's impeachment, a lot of negative support for the ceasefire radiated from a large portion of their populace that was bitter or uniformed, so Netopia itself was on the brink of being a country divided. Therefore, the decision was to act fast before while the world still clung to the bits and pieces it had left…" He paused. Long enough for Yai to cut in.

"And from there… you had to do something dangerous… there's no way Lan would be missing in action during a truce unless…"

"Exactly…" Chaud cut in. "With Netopia's superior net technology and agents… we were able to locate the three navi's responsible… And the worst part was that they were hiding deep within the undernet. So deep that our navis would surely be out of our range of communication and believe it or not, the distance was so great that even full synchro would stay connected…"

"What?" Dex jumped in. "That's ridiculous… I thought full synchro couldn't be broken no matter how far the navi traveled…"

"That's true for the range of the civilized net community and most of the undernet…" Chaud continued, "But the undernet is such a vast network… that is continuously expanded by underground and illegal work. Not even the most powerful net tracking systems of scilab and Netopian Netlabs combined would be able to measure it."

"So… how did Lan end up missing?" Maylu finally spoke up. "I mean, even if you found a way to extend the range of full synchro… he'd still have to be at the terminal being used… right…?"

"Well… you have one thing right…" Chaud intertwined his fingers and rested his upper lip against his hands. "We did find a way to extend the range of full synchro… but only at the risk of putting the operator in serious danger…" He glanced around the room. "Have any of you ever heard of a process called pulse transmission?" Everyone looked at him blankly. "I didn't think you would, I just learned about it myself… anyway… it's a recent breakthrough of Netopian technology. By combining a particle scrambler with the same technology that sends a navi through links… Netopian scientists discovered a way to send objects from the real world into the internet by breaking down the particles that hold an object together and compiling it into data, then sending it through a link as if it were a navi. It then materializes in the net and has all the same physical and proportional properties as it did in the real world." It was at that point that everyone put two and two together. "The process was tested and it was found that objects sent could be safely returned and reconstructed as long as the data of the object was intact.

"Please don't tell me you actually sent yourselves through that thing…" Yuuichiro cut in.

"Actually Lan was the one who volunteered first. He said he didn't care about the risk, knowing it was the only theory on how to catch the villains responsible for the deaths of thousands, that and he trusted the scientists."

"As usual… Lan being overly reckless…" Lan's father sighed, scratching the side of his head beneath his glasses. "I assume it worked though?"

"You read me well. Yes, they were able to send him in and bring him back… so Baryl, Raika, Lan and I along with a few other commanders used the system to enter the net and pursue the navis…"

"And something went wrong?" Yai questioned.

"I wouldn't say wrong… in fact we were mostly successful… the problems arose as we fought with them… You see, they were only three navi's, but we took a large force of about five hundred of the best soldiers and netbattlers we could get our hands on, just to be on the safe side. This proved to be a good choice, for three each possessed a unique and powerful ability. I believe you all have already witnessed one of them… The first had the ability to call and command massive hordes of viruses with little effort…"

"Like the ability that kid's navi had!" Yai jumped up with her hands flat on the coffee table.

"It must've been who he'd bought the program from." Yuuichiro pondered.

"Whether or not that is the case, I'm not sure, but his other too companions were just as formidable. One could increase his size at will, becoming a giant at least twenty times the size of a typical navi's proportions, but the third, who we believe was their leader… could take the appearance of any Navi he's seen and copy their skills and abilities at will."

"That must've been how he took the appearance of an official…" Dex wondered out loud.

"Precisely. He used that ability and transferred the data to his two minions to frame our world officials. Out of the three he is the most wanted."

"Is? Or was?" Dex asked confused.

"Is Dex…" Chaud answered. "Because he's the only one that got away… it happened like this…"

…

…

_Our soldiers had successfully quelled the virus army called forth by the first navi, but they struggled against the giant. Protoman and Megaman were reporting to us to give us updates._

"Sir Chaud! The virus threat is gone and we've detained one of the navis." Protoman saluted as he reported.

"Good work…" Chaud complimented as he sat down on a data box beside the supply cache that had arrived moments ago. "How goes it with the others?"

"We received radio confirmation… but they're requesting backup immediately." Megaman answered stoically. Lan immediately jumped out from behind the supply boxes.

"Then what are we waiting for let's get out there!" He confidently suggested. Chaud only shook his head.

"Hold your water for a minute Hikari…" Chaud waved a hand to stop him. "What of the third?" He asked, focused on Protoman, yet Megaman answered.

"Colonel and Searchman are on his trail… apparently he can change to look like any navi he wants, so he's slipping among the crowd like mouse." The blue navi finished without changing his straight expression. Chaud clapped his hands together and rose from the box.

"Very well. Lan, it's time to end this in one fell swoop. We're going to take down that giant and then set our sights on the third."

"Sounds good to me!" Lan agreed as he approached Megaman, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry bro, it's almost over, we'll go home soon." He whispered to his brother. Megaman just gave a brief nod.

"Let's go!" Chaud called out as his body was enveloped by a white aura, slowly merging into Protoman's body. Land and Megaman followed suit into the dark multi layered net system of the Undernet

_When we reached the battle, the giant was thrashing about, tossing our net soldiers and battlers every which way with the swipes of his massive hands. He, as they all were, was completely black with sections of grey and blood red lines running down his arms and legs on the sides. His sleek black helmet hid his face, but not the glowing green eyes behind the visor. We sprang into action immediately. _

"Haa!" Protoman called out as he jumped off the back of a random and unfortunate soldier to propel himself towards the giant. A large hand swung around to bat him out of the air, but Megaman, with airshoes equipped, rammed into the palm, stopping it dead as Protoman flew by.

"Protoman! Sword! Widesword! Longsword! Go!" Protoman's right arm glowed brightly, revealing a massive white energy sword. Protoman swiped the sword twice in an X pattern; the power output from it was so intense that the blade bent while trying to keep the particles of energy together. The giant roared as the pain from the new crossed wounds on his chest made itself known. Recovering quicker than Protoman was expecting, the other hand came around and smacked him towards the crowd of soldiers uselessly firing on the giant. At that point the giant realized that Megaman was no longer pushing against his other hand.

"HHYYYAAA!" Megaman was suddenly right in his face, with a goldfist pulled back behind his head. Being the lumbering figure he was, the giant could do little as Megaman gave the huge navi a knuckle sandwich of the gold variety right between the eyes. The soldiers below took cover as the massive navi toppled over, landing with a heavy crash that broke apart a few of the net roads. A few unlucky soldiers fell into the deep reaches of the Undernet from the tremors and crumbling roads.

"Megaman! Be wary how you fight him!" Megaman glanced towards Protoman, who was picking himself up off the ground. "Keep in mind, his weight is probably straining the roads as is, knocking him down like that will put us all in danger of falling!" Protoman had a point. Falling in the Undernet was different then falling in the civilized net. If a road were to break below a navi in the civilized net, they would fall into a dataflow and be deleted instantly, which is why there are barriers on each roadside to prevent that from happening. The Undernet is different however, being the old, cast-aside version of the net. It is built in layers and not districts without barriers on the roads, if one were to fall, they would fall deep into the Undernet, the bottom of which is unknown because no civilized navi could go there and hope to live. In a sense it's a fate worse than deletion, for none know what sort of virus beasts or dangerous navis lurk in the depths.

"New strategy then…" Megaman barely acknowledged Protoman as he called out his mega buster. He used his airshoes to rocket himself high into the air until he was a good forty feet in the above the giant that struggled to rise from the previous goldfist. As Megaman halted his ascent he called forth his megabuster and started firing a rapid volley of energy shots in a wide radius. The giant let out a painful grunt as the cloud of plasma blasts rained down from above, physically restricting him from getting up, the road beneath him beginning to crack and creak from his weight. "Protoman! Hit him while he's down!" Megaman yelled over their voice link connection.

"Roger!" Protoman complied as he leapt onto the downed giant's body. He ran towards his face while gracefully weaving in and out of the falling plasma shots. When he finally reached the head, he jumped above, positioning himself near the visor. Calling his standard cybersword to his hand, he swiped the blade across the visor, successfully blinding the giant. The navi let out an immense cry of pain and clutched the fizzing data where his eyes used to be. The giant showed no more signs of hostility as it grunted and groaned from the attack. "That's two down…" He said to himself as the soldiers began approaching. Searchman and Colonel were among them and yelled up to Protoman.

"Good work comrades!" Searchman called out. Protoman waved and yelled back.

"Did you two capture the third?" By the sigh given off by Colonel the answer was clear.

"Unfortunately no." The soldier explained. "We were sure we had him, but he slipped away from our grasp…"

"Well at least we bagged these two in one… what the?" He almost lost his footing as the giant pounded his chest with the arm opposite of Protoman. A bright light in the center of his chest revealed a concealed navi emblem with a red lightning bolt in the center. The emblem began to glow brightly until it spread around the entire body. "What is…" Protoman remembered he had seen something like this in the past. He recalled an event at the dam of the Okuden Camp Grounds. A certain navi of Gospel's did just this… and was doubling as a bomb. "SHIT! EVERYBODY GET BACK!" There was no time to explain, so they were unsure why Protoman was suddenly frantic. But it wouldn't have mattered anyway; due to his large size the navi's blast radius would be far wider range than any of them could run to. Protoman and Chaud were both sure that was the end for them. Until…

"INCOMING!" Protoman looked up to see Megaman careening towards the beast from his previous position high in the air, Lan's image slightly splitting off. The airshoes on his feet were firing full blast. Protoman didn't think, only acted, diving out of the way and ultimately off of the giant. The impact of Megaman slamming into the giant was accompanied by a loud thump and a crashing noise as the large navi seemed to sink. The road beneath it gave way and the soldiers all stepped back before anyone else could be claimed by the depths of the Undernet.

"HIKARI!" Chaud yelled out as he split from Protoman. Protoman immediately grabbed Chaud from behind and pulled him back as the road below them crumbled as well. Chaud could only watch as the giant fell through the floor and crashed into road after road beneath them until disappearing from sight into the depths. Seconds later a large explosion erupted from far below, lighting the area to the point where they all had to shield their eyes. When the light faded Chaud ran up to the edge of the road that barely held together, peering over the edge. "Oh god…" He said to himself. "God dammit…. GOD DAMMIT!" He pounded his fist to the ground. "GOD DAMMIT HIKARI!"

…

…

"And he was gone… Upon returning I immediately commissioned for a widespread search. Both Electopian and Sharo military executives agreed to form a search party. I could not reach Netopian forces, because their top priority was to hunt down the remaining assassin. So when everything was put together, the searches set off immediately. However it has been a week. They've combed the Undernet up and down within reasonable limits and have found nothing… I decided to return home to relay the news, but I will be joining the search from SciLab"

"Reasonable limits?" Maylu questioned, clutching the fabric of her skirt upon her knees.

"There is a point in the Undernet where going any further would mean certain death…" Chaud explained. The search parties have avoided doing so to prevent any more casualties."

"But what about Lan?" Maylu got to her feet, her expression a mixture of anger and worry. "They can't just leave him!"

"I'm afraid that's what it might come to…" Chaud sighed, knowing she would not like that answer.

"But… but…" She was starting to quiver. Chaud glanced over towards the Hikari's. Haruka was beginning to tear up and Yuuichiro was doing his best to calm her, but even he was looking grim upon the situation.

"I know… I don't agree with it either… but both countries are unwilling to risk losing any more lives, whether it be human or navi. That and even though I want to go to any length to look for him… with how far he possibly fell, there is no way I'd be able to send Protoman in there without losing contact… I'd be sending him to his deletion…" He looked up, seeing Maylu. Her mixed expression had been replaced with one of pure despair. "I'm sorry Maylu… I know Lan… An explosion is not enough to keep him down… but you need to factor in where he is and his possibility of escape… I'm afraid there's little chance of him being alive… as is, if he is not found within the next few days he will be presumed dead…"

"NO!" Maylu cried out. She snatched her Pet off the table and ran for the front door.

"Maylu!" Yai called after her while getting up to pursue. She was halted by a hand on her shoulder. Yai turned to see Dex holding her back. "Dex! Let me go! The last thing we need is her becoming a wreck again!" Dex only shook his head.

"I know… but… she needs some time. Let her go." He calmly stated. Yai slumped back down into her chair.

"Alright… but… Chaud can you really be so sure that it's a lost cause?" She looked towards him.

"Like I said… there's no way to know, but not much to hope for… yet brooding over it will get us nowhere. I understand that Lan is a large part of your lives… however coping with loss is another part of life that everyone must face eventually… It may have come earlier than you thought… but you can't change what's already happened… life is full of cruel outcomes… This is something Maylu will have to learn to live with.

…

…

Maylu did not run home. She ran to the park instead. Why? She didn't know. If she had any control over herself at the moment she would have run home. But that wasn't a luxury she currently had. He head was in disarray, she felt like her mind was tied in knots and being pulled tighter by the moment, forcing her to run with no real destination in mind. She stopped in the middle of the park playground, which was deserted despite it being a Saturday. It could've been that people were still afraid of being outside, or it could've been her luck that nobody decided to play outside, but it didn't matter to her either way. She glanced around where her legs had brought her, at the slide, the jungle gym, the monkey bars, and the swing set.

As she examined each one, images of a young spiky haired boy in an orange vest being chased by young red headed girl in blue seemed to fill in the space of the deserted equipment. She pictured them dashing to and fro, playing games like hide and seek and tag. Simple games with simple rules, simple lives with simple satisfaction. Where had those days gone and why were they playing in her head now?

By now she realized that she wasn't crying, despite the fact that Lan could be gone forever. She felt horrible for it. How could she be so cold as to not even shed a tear for someone she was always her best friend… better yet… someone she loved? She slammed her eyes shut, feeling unworthy off the hallucinations before her, but when she opened her eyes they remained. She sighed and rubbed her temples, making her way to the vacant swing set. She plopped down onto the swing furthest left of the four, slightly surprised by how low it was compared to the last time she sat in it. It really had been a long time. The times of reckless youth and innocence were long gone.

She felt something roll off her waist and hit the woodchip covered ground. She glanced to her right and saw her Pet face down. After staring at it for a moment, she picked it off the ground and turned it over to view her navi. Unlike her operator, Roll's tears were flowing like a torrent from an overflowing river. She sat on her knees with her hands partially covering her face. Mouse scampering all about doing everything Roll had described as cute and funny in the past in attempt to cheer her up, but it was hopeless. So what if her tears weren't real tears, so what if they were just a data rendition of tears that could appear in cyberspace. Roll was programmed that way, as she was programmed with human emotions. The sadness and despair was as real to her as it was to Maylu.

But why then? Why could she not cry? Was the shock so immense that the tears themselves ran dry before they could even flow free? Suddenly the images of the boy and girl faded, reappearing in only one spot. The kids walked away from the playground, both covered in dirt marks and a few bruises, yet they laughed and locked hands as they trotted away from the park. Then it was all back to normal, Maylu was alone again, but the sight had served its purpose.

"_Promise me we will always be best friends… Don't let anything ever change it…"_

"_I promise…"_

Maylu's eyes widened.

_"You coming here has intensified the need to survive and return… because… I've come to see how much you mean to me… So this promise will be held… and I will never break a promise to you again…"_

Now she understood. This is why she felt different. Before when he told her his promise to her was broken, it shattered her, as if all this time he was holding to it, only to break it if he felt necessary. But now, with the new promise, her faith in him was strong. It held on despite the recent facts. She didn't care what Chaud said, she didn't care if the rest of the world assumed he was dead. Lan promised her directly that he would return, and on top of that explained how strong his need to survive was… not just for all his friends and family, but for her as well. She believed. She believed in him like she always had in the past.

_Lan…_She thought to herself, letting a smile crack on her lips, if only for a moment. _I know you are alive… and I know you will return… _She looked up, pushing on the ground with her feet slightly to ease the swing backwards. She could now see past the overhead bar of the swing set and into the clear blue sky. _You're too stubborn to be killed by an explosion… and too strong to be overpowered by whatever horrors live in the depths of the Undernet. _She released her feet from the ground, letting the swing move back forward. She let her toe's drag across the woodchips, slowing her down to an immediate stop at the swings neutral position. _Just don't take too long… or I __**will**__ come looking for you… _She stood up, glancing at her pet. _I'll let her be for now… but I know she is with Megaman as I am with you. She'll be just as eager to jump into danger if it is to find you… we've already done it once…_ Maylu set her eyes towards the path where the images of the boy and girl hand in hand had happily skipped away.

_And we'll do it again if we must… I love you Lan Hikari… and because of that… there are no limits I will not test… when it comes to you…_ With a new understanding of herself and her faith in Lan, she walked down the path, away from the park, and back to her house.

-To be continued-

* * *

So things are looking grim for Lan and Megaman, but Maylu hasn't lost faith in them. Even if the whole world says he's dead she will deny it. But when days turn to weeks, and weeks turn to months, will she keep sitting by or will she take action? This and more in the next chapter...

As usual i will take care of my other story first, maybe submitting more to my starfox story if i work on it at all (Don't expect much of antyhgin from my pokemon one for wa while). But my main focus is on golden sun then back to this. Both of my current stories are at, if not slightly past their halfway points, so i'm feeling good about them.

Again i would like to apologize for my less than stellar schedule keeping, but as always i appreciate all of you who stick with me despite all of that. Everyone who read's and/or reviews my work holds a special place in my heart and helps me stay focused and true to my goals.

Having a story to tell is one thing... having people to tell it to makes it special...

Please read and review!

Flashgunner, over and out!


	11. Missing Your Other Half

Long time no see everyone! Sorry about the long delay. The two weeks from august 15th to august 28th was football camp. I literally had football stuff to do 24/7 so i had asolutely no time to write. HOWEVER, that time is obviously come and gone, so now i shall continue writing as i always do. Again sorry for the delay and that i had no real way of letting you all know.

Anyway, here is the eleventh installment of Love Knows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(me talking)

Enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

By: Flashgunner

Ch. 11: Missing Your Other Half

Faith. It is a powerful thing. Something that can drive an individual to stand firm and strong even against the most powerful storms and unrelenting obstacles. But at the same time, faith is fragile… Something that can easily be broken when the powerful beliefs do not lead to their intended destination.

Maylu's faith in Lan was strong and resolved, even after Chaud brought the news that the search for him had been terminated, but going on almost two months and there was still no sign of his return. Maylu's faith was beginning to crumble. The Undernet was a cruel and unforgiving place. Lan knew better than to stay there long should he ever have to go… But the wait was becoming unbearable, and the others were beginning to worry that if Lan failed to show, she would do something rash.

But beyond all the trials Maylu and Roll have recently been facing, the world was picking up the pieces and licking its wounds. The internet lockdown was officially released, causing a mass data flow from navis all over the world frantically moving back onto the net. Scilab reported many broken records in terms of login numbers and received data inputs.

Scilab itself was back up and bustling again, working on new ways to tighten security and restoring the damaged net to its former glory. The best Scilab scientists and professors were put on the job, Yuuichiro headed the efforts of course, but he received a large amount of help from Albert Wily, the former rival of Yuuichiro's father Tadashi. The old robotics specialist had recently finished his required hours of service put upon him by the grand jury of Electopia. Now free from custody and having repaid the world three times over for his past sins with massive enhancements to world technology and defense mechanisms, he offered to work at scilab under observation of security. When Yuuichiro protested about keeping him under watch, Wily himself told him not to worry.

"Despite all I've done to make up for the damage I caused in the past, I cannot erase what I have done. They have every right to keep an eye on me, and should I refuse, there is nothing to stop people from suspecting me of mischief again."

Wisdom that comes from old age. The kind of wisdom that Tadashi Hikari had as well. It was something Yuuichiro could never argue with. But that was a little over two years ago. Wily had played a major part in keeping the net defense systems running during the war, and followed up by doing an almost flawless job at reconstructing the damaged parts of the Den area internet. With that project logged and filed, he was ready to move on and assist the repairs to the rest of the net all around Electopia, and if need be, beyond the borders.

"Dr. Wily… are you in there?" Yuuichiro spoke into the speaker outside the office door at the end of the Scilab basement's main hallway.

"Is that Tadashi's boy?" A voice came through the speaker in response. Yuuichiro sighed.

"Yes it's me."

"Well come on in!" The speaker clicked off before Yuuichiro could reply. He grabbed the doorknob and let himself into the office. "What brings you all the way down here?" A voice came from the back of the room before Yuuichiro could even step through the door. The room was large, much larger than the typical Scilab office. The walls were littered with servers and other machines that Yuuichiro had never seen before. Most of them were hardwired towards workstations with contraptions Wily had been working on as well as net devices. However most of it was low tech and not up to date.

"How you manage to make so many advances in technology with such old tools at your disposal is mindboggling." Yuuichiro joked as he scanned the plethora of old equipment that littered the room.

"I prefer to keep things old fashioned." The swivel chair behind the old wooden desk at the end of the room swung around to reveal the old engineer in all his glory, the thinning, grey, spiked hair, the equally prickled moustache, and the metallic eyepiece with a dark blue lens in one of his eyes. In front of him was an ancient cube computer monitor.

"You could at least upgrade you communications…" The son of Tadashi began as he approached and scanned his eyes over the only monitor he had ever seen that wasn't flat-screen. I can never get a hold of you; always have to come down to the "dungeon". Yuuichiro made the quote-on-quote motion with his fingers as he said it. Wily laughed heartily.

"You could always call me." He pointed to an old fashioned zero to nine, star, pound number pad base telephone that wasn't even cordless. Yuuichiro gave him a look riddled with the words "you're kidding right?", but when he saw the look on Wily's face he could tell the old man was pulling his leg.

"Heh, no one has used those things for almost half a century… but I can see you've tried to get it to work… He spied an implanted cord from the base of the phone leading to one of the old servers.

"Yep... still no luck with it though… the tech is much too old to run with even these old net boxes… but hey, I used to berate your father over this old phone, it's like an old trinket to me now… but anyway, I assume you came down here for a reason?" He folded his hands upon his desk, awaiting an answer.

"Ah yes… we're holding a meeting in about an hour to discuss the restoration of the Electopian internet. The heads of Intralabs and Cynet from the capital city will be there. We'll need to work with them to have the right amount of man power for this job." As he finished, Wily gave a nod. "And maybe you should at least put E-mail on your system so it's easier to relay information to you." He added at the end to purposely be a wise guy. Wily smirked.

"But if I did that no one would ever come visit me down here!" He purposely tried to sound like a forgotten old man, earning a few laughs from Yuuichiro.

"Alright, I need to get back to work." Yuuichiro stated suddenly, and not very eagerly. Wily raised an eyebrow as Yuuichiro turned away and called out to him before he could exit.

"Yuuichiro." The said scientist stopped in his tracks and turned his head around. "Are you alright?"

"Um…"

"Come clean with me."

"Well… I'm…" Yuuichiro turned away.

"It's about your son… isn't it?" Wily hit a bull's-eye as Yuuichiro tightened his grip on the doorknob.

"Yes… it is…"

"You should take some time off… I know we are trying to restore the net, but I'm sure your family is going through a rough time. You need to think of yourself and your wife."

"I… yes, I know… but right now we should finish this task and then…" Wily couldn't see the tears forming in Yuuichiro's eyes. "Then I'll see about taking some time…" With that, the distraught scientist left the office and closed the door behind him.

Wily kept his eyes on the door. _Such an unfortunate way for things to turn out… seventeen years of work down the drain… I may have had a son of my own… but Regal would have never looked at me as a son would to a father… Yuuichiro worked so hard to support his family, only to lose his most prized result from that work… it must be unbearable…_

Suddenly a shrill ring sounded from beside him. He perked up instantly and looked around until his eyes fell on the old phone beside him.

It was ringing.

"What in the world?" Wily kept his eyes on the ancient tech as it rang two more times, and then reached for it, stopping as he wrapped his hand around it. After concluding that he was indeed not imagining the strange event, he lifted the phone off the base and slowly brought it to his ear. "H…Hello?"

"…"

"Yes… this is Albert Wily…Who in the world is this… and how did you…"

"…"

"You used the…?" His eyes traced the cord that reached towards the servers that lined the wall. "Okay… but… who is this… and how did you manage to find me?"

"…"

"Wait… what…? You're… who…? WHAT!"

…

…

Two weeks later at Alpha High…

"Maylu! No! That's stupid!" Yai slammed her hands down on the lunch table in front of her. "Being determined is one thing, but being overzealous is completely different!" Dex was leaning away from the two of them, hoping to avoid bringing too much attention to their table.

"It isn't stupid Yai… I know Lan is out there, and the only reason he hasn't come back yet is because he's physically unable to. That's why I'm planning on going to the Undernet to help him." She made no effort to shoot back at Yai, stating her plan of action flatly and straight forward in attempt to prove her resolve.

"God dammit Maylu…" Yai sat back down in her seat and rubbed her forehead beneath her newly grown out bangs. "I was worried this would happen… you're starting to lose yourself with this idea that Lan's just taking his time on returning to us…" She was stopped as a large hand grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her out of her seat. She traced the hand to Dex who looked back at Maylu and said,

"One moment…" He dragged Yai a good distance away, passed a few other lunch tables and to the wall of the cafeteria before she yanked her shoulder free and glared at him.

"This better be good Dex." She huffed as she crossed her arms angrily. He sighed, running a hand through his front-hawk hair.

"Look, I'm not trying to stop you from telling her what's right and wrong… it's just… she needs to figure it out herself. If we keep telling her that Lan's gone, plain and simple, she'll keep denying it."

"But she wants to go to the Undernet and look for him! If we don't do something she's going get herself killed!" She yelled back. Dex held a finger to his lips to remind her to keep her voice down. "Sorry…"

"Don't worry about that, I'll make sure she doesn't throw herself to the wolves…" He pointed to his eye patch with his thumb. "The last thing we need is her suffering something like this… or worse." He assured her. Yai let her shoulders droop and looked towards the floor. "But… I'll be completely honest with you… if worst comes to worst, I will drill it into her, because I don't like seeing her like this just as you don't… If she gets any worse, I will lay it on good and thick for her… just, don't worry much about it, I'll bite the bullet if need be…" He finished. Yai continued to look down.

"This… sucks…" She said out of nowhere.

"Hm…? Oh… because of Lan?"

"Yeah… I just… can't feel happy when he's not here… he was the life of our group…" She sighed as Dex scratched the back of his head.

"It's true… Lan had a very odd knack for always making people feel good, not to mention secure…" They both looked back to Maylu, who was leaning forward on the table, one elbow on it, with her hand supporting her head by her cheek. She was staring up to the ceiling and hadn't touched her food.

"And it's making her change completely…" Yai hugged herself. "Without him she's not even herself… like half of her is missing…"

"Hm…" Dex put his hands on his waist. "Hopefully she'll get over that soon… I'm not saying she should just forget about him… but she needs to get on with her life… and by the way… is she not carrying her pet?" Yai's eyes opened wide. She didn't even notice.

"She isn't! Where is Roll?"

…

…

Roll had been left at home. Maylu's mind was in such a tizzy that she sometimes forgot to do things linked with her own life. Sometimes it was a simple thing, like brushing her hair in the morning or forgetting homework on her desk, but today she had left her Pet at home, meaning Roll was abandoned as well. However there was a visitor within her home that benefitted from this mistake…

"So you see… after talking with her friends and to Yuuichiro Hikari, it has been determined that this would be the best course of action…" Maylu's mother sat listening to the visitor from across the table. "So if you get a chance, perhaps when she's unaware… could you retrieve her Pet?"

"Actually…" Mrs. Sakurai began as she brushed a few strands of long brown hair behind her ears. "She left it here this morning…"

"She went to school without her Pet?" The visitor questioned in bewilderment.

"At least she's in school at the moment… shouldn't you be too?" She shot him a motherly look.

"I was sent here as an official, and because I actually know her… My business in regards to my job comes before school." He replied.

"You said your name was… Chaud? Now that you mention it I have heard her speak you before…" She turned her head towards the stairs. "But if you say my daughter is in danger of her own feelings… then I will cooperate… one moment, I'll go get Roll…" She rose from her seat and made her way through the kitchen and to the stairs. Chaud leaned back in his chair, losing himself in his own thoughts.

_I personally do not wish to stop her from doing what she pleases… she already managed to cut through our security to find us during the war… making her and Roll a formidable team at locating people… but this is just too much of a risk… We've already lost Hikari… I will make sure they are spared of losing anyone else…_ His eyes caught movement and he looked up to see Mrs. Sakurai approaching with a pink Pet.

"Here she is…" Maylu's mother handed the Pet to him. Chaud took it in his hand and checked the screen. Roll was sitting at a cyber-table, with what seemed to be multiple screenshot files strewn all over it. Mouse was sitting beside the chair, dome down.

"Wow… has that little pet of hers even given up on turning her around?" He commented.

"We've tried everything… even Maylu has trouble getting through to her. Without Megaman she's been a complete wreck…" Mrs. Sakurai sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"All the more reason for us to do this… With Roll in this vulnerable state, pressure from Maylu could cause more psychological damage…" Chaud grabbed his Pet and drew out the auxiliary cord from the back, shifting the plug head to resemble that of a subchip, he inserted it into the subchip slot on Maylu's pet.

"But if I know my daughter, she'll be stubborn and try to find a way past it…"

"No need to worry about that… this security lock was designed by Yuuichiro Hikari himself… She may have been able to break through common security walls, but not this." He entered a few commands in his Pet and gave Protoman a nod. The crimson navi disappeared in a flash of red light.

"And when she finds out its hopeless… what if she becomes unstable? She's already not been herself; I fear it could get much worse." Mrs. Sakurai continued to worry like all good mothers do, but Chaud gave her a straight forward answer.

"Have her see a psychiatrist… and when I say that I mean sooner rather than later. I hate to say it, but right now she's a lost cause… I've spoken with her friends and they've had no luck getting her to accept the truth… same goes for someone else…" He finished while shifting his view to Roll's Pet.

…

…

Protoman touched down within Roll's Pet. After a quick glance around he set his eyes on Roll. He walked towards her with his orders pressed to the front of his mind as always. Inform Roll on his task and then set up the connection breaker. As neared her he focused on the ground to avoid stepping on any of the stray files that littered the floor. He noticed something as he walked, the files were all pictures, and every picture contained Megaman, or her and Megaman. Being the highly trained official he was, he did not waver at the sight, despite seeing the face of a former rival and reliable comrade. He stopped in front of the pink navi, whose head was down on the table, buried between her arms that lay crossed upon it. Reaching a hand forward he touched her shoulder.

"Roll." He called out her name stoically. She twitched at his touch and let out a loud sniffle before turning her head to look at him. Protoman was glad his visor hid his eyes, because there wasn't a person or navi with a soul on the planet who could withstand it. Even the famous crimson soldier of the officials with a heart of stone would admit to the warmth that radiated from Roll and her presence. A smile from her could turn even the longest frowns upside-down… So seeing such a look of lost sorrow in her eyes was like being stabbed in the heart. "Ahem…" Protoman cleared his throat. "I bring word from Sir Chaud, we have decided that it would be best to…" He was cut off as she reached forward and grabbed him by the wrists.

"Have you found anything about Mega?" Protoman twitched at the sudden contact, and was forced to stare straight into the false hope that shined in her eyes. He sighed and slowly removed her hands from him.

"I'm sorry… but nothing has been found…" He paused, noticing the blank look he was receiving. Knowing that it was probably not the best thing to say, he quickly added extra. "…yet. We are still looking…" He lied. He bold-facedly lied to her, but what was he supposed to do? She caught him on the spot, and his usual sense of straight forward logic almost got the better of his common sense for the situation. "But…" He continued. "You might not agree with this, but it has been decreed by the high authorities and officials of Scilab that we place a link lock on your Pet and PC…" he paused knowing that she wouldn't like the next part. "Because we don't want you and your operator endangering yourselves by looking for Lan and Megaman yourselves…" Roll immediately gasped and scooted back slightly in her chair before leaning forward to grab hold of him again.

"What? NOO! You can't! We will find him if we need to… we will…!" Protoman caught her arms before she could grapple him again.

"I'm sorry… this isn't my decision and it wasn't Sir Chaud's… we are only following orders for your own safety…" He let go of her and watched her arms droop to her sides. "Things are already bad enough… With Lan and Megaman g… missing, we can't afford to have you two put yourselves in similar danger… this is for your own good…" Roll didn't move, nor did she reply. She sat completely still, staring right at Protoman with tear-filled eyes. He turned away from her without another word and proceeded with his orders, writing up a net-lock program and encrypting it to a Scilab restricted code. No matter how good Roll was at breaking through encryption, unless she had an official Scilab identification code she would not even be allowed to access it. When the lock was in place, Protoman put a hand to his ear. "Sir Chaud, objective complete… Very well, returning." He stole one more glance at Roll before teleporting back to his Pet.

…

…

"It's done…" Chaud commented as he handed the Pet back to Mrs. Sakurai. "Just go plug the Pet into her PC and the lock will transfer into her system as well."

"She's not going to take this well you know…" Mrs. Sakurai sighed as she eyed Roll's broken state on the Pet screen.

"I'm well aware of that… but it would be better for her to learn and accept the truth eventually, she's building up a lot of false hope, and it it goes on for too long, the results could be disastrous for her…" Chaud's words were harsh, but so was the reality that all of them had to accept.

"I understand…" She nodded in reluctant agreement. Chaud whipped his hands together and rose from his seat.

"Thank you for cooperating… this would've been difficult if I had to confront her personally… Now I need to get back to my duties…" He walked right to the door and left before Mrs. Sakurai could respond, but words were failing her, there was nothing to say to soften the blow of Lan being gone.

…

…

The day came to a close, and the students of Alpha High were pouring from the school gates, getting on with their lives with the pieces picked up from the war. Despite promising Yai that he would keep an eye on her, Dex had completely lost Maylu in the crowd.

"Dammit! Where did she go?" Dex stood on his tiptoes to get a good view above the crowd. Finding anyone else this way would be fruitless, but Maylu was always easy to spot because of her unique hair color. He spent the next ten minutes continuing his search, but eventually the crowd thinned to the point where only a few stragglers exited the grounds, one of which was Yai.

"Dex? Why are you still here?" She questioned. Dex sighed and pounded the wall with his hand.

"I lost track of Maylu…" He grumbled irritably. Yai's eyes widened.

"What? We need to find her! Quick, maybe she already went home!" Dex shook his head, stopping her from darting down the street.

"After the way we received her plan to go find Lan? I doubt she'll go somewhere where we can easily find and stop her…"

"But she left her Pet at home remember? She has to get Roll before she can do anything, so she has to be at her house! Maybe we can catch her before she tries anything!" Yai's recalling of their lunch hour made Dex perked up in realization.

"Hey, that's right! Come on let's go now!" He exclaimed, but was suddenly cut off by a familiar, silver haired figure.

"No need to worry." Chaud stood before them. Yai immediately stepped in front of Dex.

"Okay you, I know you aren't one for compassion but I know her! She's going to do something dangerous if we don't hurry so out of our way!" Chaud rolled his eyes.

"Don't be so impulsive… I've already made sure nothing will happen." He calmly explained. Dex and Yai simmered down upon hearing this and were both eager to know.

"Enlighten us then." Dex demanded.

"By order of the high ranking officials of Scilab, including Yuuichiro Hikari himself, I made a trip to the Sakurai residence in the early afternoon to place a high level security encrypted lock on her PC and Pet… Roll has pretty much been locked out of the internet, and as long as that fact remains, she cannot risk herself by using full synchro or traveling to the Undernet." He finished. Yai looked away, unsure of how to take this news.

"That seems a bit… harsh… don't you think?" She commented.

"But it's necessary. Believe me Yai, you guys aren't the only ones being affected by Lan's absence. I too, have lost something without him here, and I'm not about to watch someone else lose more than they already have. Even if I had not been ordered to do so I do believe I would have suggested this tactic eventually." Chaud turned sideways to them. "Until she can accept how things have turned out like we have, this is completely necessary, no matter how harsh it may seem."

…

…

Maylu burst through the door to her house, not even acknowledging her mother as she ran through the living room.

"Maylu…?" Her mother leaned out from behind the kitchen wall as she caught the sound of footsteps scampering up the stairs. Maylu dropped her backpack as soon as she entered her room and snatched Roll's Pet from her desk.

_So far so good… Now I just need to find a place to plug into the net where no one can bother me…_ She decided to ponder the location as she made her escape. She heard the familiar pattern of her mother's feet thumping up the stairs and quickly diverted into the bathroom.

"Maylu is that you?" Her mother pushed the door open to Maylu's room and glanced around. With her mother distracted, Maylu slipped out of the bathroom and back down the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could.

_All clear…_ She thought as she closed the front door behind her. _Now where…_ She glanced in both directions down her street. _My house is out of the question… Yai's and Dex's are out… the school security would find me… Higsby's shop is too public…_ Then her eyes fell on Lan's house. She blinked a few times, and then shook her head. _Get real… Mrs. Hikari would definitely wonder why I'm waltzing into her home without Lan around…_ But she kept staring at the house. She kept contemplating the possible stupidity of the idea, but she suddenly noticed that the window to his room was open. _His window…? His mother must have opened it to air out the house…_ She eyed the tree next to the house. The tree used to be so small that she and Lan could see each other from their rooms across yards, but the past few years the tree had grown immensely and now blocked that view. This may have been her lucky break though, because the tree seemed just tall enough that she could jump from the branches and make it to the window. It was a crazy and dangerous idea yes, but she was determined. So determined that she was unaware that Roll had been silent the whole time and more so unaware of the colossal let down she would receive should she succeed in this escapade.

She made it to the base of the tree and examined her makeshift ladder, unfortunately the branches were a bit out of her reach, but that didn't stop her, her eyes darted to the garbage bin sitting out against the house. The more ideas she got, the more dangerous the situation became. She seized the bin and flipped it upside down to use as a boost. She flinched slightly as she did so; taking into account that if there was actually any garbage in the container she just dumped it all out, but with a quick look and a sigh of relief there was no garbage in the bin. She stepped up, the bin wobbling uncontrollably as she did. It was about to take a dive, but she jumped up and grabbed hold of the lowest branch just as the bin toppled over.

"Ah!" She yelped as she felt her grip slipping. She made an extra effort and got her hands firmly on the branch, swaying herself side to side until she had enough momentum to swing her leg up onto the branch and pull the rest of herself up. "Okay!" She confidently cheered as she began making her way through the leaves and branches towards the top of the tree. Prickly twigs and sticks poked and scratched her as she ascended, but she paid absolutely no mind, she didn't care if she ruined her clothes at this point. As she reached the destined branch, she realized that the higher branches were not as thick nor did they seem as resilient, but she was so close. As she edged towards the window, the branch began to bend beneath her weight, causing her to freeze in fear of falling. She glanced down only once to see how far she would fall if she failed, but quickly brushed the image from her mind, refocusing on the open window. With one more step, there was a loud snap and the branched shifted downward. Without thinking Maylu pushed off her feet and leapt towards the window. The branch gave way as she jumped, taking away any hope for her safety should she miss. But she didn't. Her right hand slipped right off, but her left hand had a hold on the window sill.

"Oh god… oh god… this was NOT a good idea…" She said to herself despite the fact that her body was still struggling and crawling with no fear to get a good grip on the window. The edge of the window sill was painfully digging into her hand, but she disregarded it as she finally got hold with both hands. She pulled herself up and squeezed through the window, falling with a loud thud onto the floor of Lan's room. She lay on her back for a few moments staring straight up to the ceiling, panting to catch her breath. "I did it… I'm in…" She said to herself. Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly, scampering towards Lan's PC. There was some dust on it from years of no use, but she pressed the power button and grabbed Roll from the Pet pouch on her waist. As Lan's compute finished powering on, she drew the cord from her Pet and plugged it into the PC. "Let's go Roll! It's time to go find Lan and Megaman!" She called to her navi.

"…"

But there was no response.

"Roll?" Maylu pressed a few buttons on her Pet to display Roll. She was slumped in a cyber chair clutching Mouse in her arms tightly. "Roll!" She exclaimed, completely forgetting she was trying to stay hidden from Lan's mother. "Get up! Don't you want to find Megaman?" She questioned frantically.

"I want to… but… we can't…" The pink navi sobbed, tears becoming visible upon her face.

"What…? Why is…?" Maylu glanced around the Pet screen and noticed that the icon indicator for being plugged into a system or network was not present. Confused, she unplugged the cord and plugged it back in, repeating the process about five more times with the same results. "I don't understand! What's going on?"

"There's a lock on your Pet." Maylu spun around at the sound of another voice. Dex stood in the doorway to Lan's room with Haruka right behind him. Maylu quickly backed into the desk, almost losing her balance.

"Wha…what? How did you know… What do you mean…?" The hysterical questions fired from her rapidly, but Dex held up a hand to calm her down.

"First off, you weren't being very subtle about it; did you think no one would see you pull off that reckless stunt?" Dex commented, slightly annoyed at her tree climbing act. Maylu looked away from him. She didn't know what to do or what to say to defend herself, but it was true, she noticed how stupid it was when she almost fell two stories. "And what I said is what's a fact… there is a Scilab issued transmission lock on your Pet. Maylu's eyes widened and she seemed to pale.

"What…? You… you're joking right…?" Her expression was fearful and she felt short on breath. Dex turned to Haruka.

"Sorry about her breaking in… I need to talk to her in private, is that okay?" He asked politely.

"That's fine…" Haruka replied with an obvious dullness in her voice. Without another word she turned and left and Dex closed the door to Lan's room behind him. As he faced her, Maylu wobbled towards Lan's bed and plopped down, feeling overwhelmed and incredulous towards what Dex had just told her. Dex walked into the room and faced her.

"Maylu… this is for your own good, we can't have you running off to the Undernet and risking yourself for no reason…" He tried to explain calmly, but he knew well that Maylu would fight him on this. She suddenly regained some confidence and glared right at him.

"No reason? NO REASON! Dex in case you have forgotten, Lan is lost out there! If no one is going to look for him and give up then I need to go! Alone if necessary!" Dex sighed and rubbed his temples, it was clear what he had to do now, as much as he didn't want to. "Some friend you are if you aren't even worried about him! Lan would never leave you behind would he? Would Lan…"

"MAYLU! LAN IS DEAD!" Dex exploded while pounding his fist upon Lan's desk. Maylu's hardened expression broke instantly, her eyes became wide. Dex was staring straight at her with no sign of joking in his expression. "Maylu… you need to look at this from a logical perspective… Lan and Megaman fell deep into the uncharted reaches of the Undernet, where none have ever come out alive, and to top it off he was directly positioned in front of an explosion that had enough power to take out the entire Electopian military force. Even if he survived that… he would be severely injured and unable to protect himself from the horrors of what lurks down there…" Maylu's eyes were beginning to water, but Dex didn't let up. He couldn't stand watching her live a lie any longer, she had to accept reality. "I don't want to let go of Lan any more than you do… or Yai does… or hell even Chaud does… But you need to face the facts! Lan is gone, and you're doing nothing to help yourself deal with that… you're only making it worse…"

Maylu didn't say a word, and there was nothing else Dex needed to say. He knew there was nothing he could do to comfort her, he was there as an eye opener, not as a shoulder to cry on. He reluctantly watched as she slowly broke down and tears fell from her eyes. She didn't wail, nor did she scream out in agony. She just curled up into a ball on Lan's bed, clutching her knees tightly to her chest. Dex turned away, unable to take it anymore and exited the room. He made his way down the stairs and over to Haruka, sitting on the living room couch with the television on. She glanced at Dex briefly before turning back to the news.

"She's on his bed… needs some alone time." He stated simply, receiving a nod from Haruka. He sighed heavily, walked through the kitchen and out the front door into the Hikari's front yard. Waiting there for him was Chaud and clinging to his arm, Yai. Yai had her face dug into his shoulder and didn't look up as Dex approached, but Chaud spoke immediately.

"You know there was a reason I didn't completely lay it on about him…" He calmly argued.

"And there's a reason I **did**." Dex replied flatly. "Chaud, as serious and hard working as you might be, you have a problem putting the interests of your job over the interests of those it may affect… You may think it would've been a good idea to let her muse about her plans to save him until she figured it out… I tried to hold back at first, but I couldn't stand watching her play at false ideas and fabricate hope…" He glanced back towards the window to Lan's room. "The sooner she can get over it the better… not just for her, but for everyone…"

…

Up in Lan's room, Maylu stayed curled up on his bed, quivering slightly with tear droplets smearing her face. How could she have been so blind? To hear the harsh reality straight from Dex tore her to pieces, breaking down the resilient wall of confidence in Lan with a sledgehammer made of the cold hard truth. Who was she trying to fool? Herself? If the top scanners and searchers of Scilab and Electopia in general couldn't find Lan then how would she?

If such a thing were possible, she hugged herself tighter. Why did all of this have to happen? Why did the three mystery navis have to attack Netopia? Why did the crazy stand in president have to declare War? Why did Raika have to call for Netbattlers? Why did Lan have to accept? Why did he have to… die?

It was then and there that she could fully feel it. The feeling of Lan truly being gone. It felt horrible, she felt as though there was a giant hole in the center of her heart, a hole that could only be filled through means that now would never exist. She was torn in two, half of her was gone, the other half that completed her. Her tears stopped and she sat up on the bed, glancing around the room that would no longer be occupied. She stood up, eager to leave a place that she could never bring herself to walk through again. She left the room, went down the stairs, ignored Haruka, left the house, and walked right past the three conversing outside. She didn't stop to acknowledge them; the words they called to her didn't mean a thing. She continued on her path and didn't stop.

…

"Maylu! Maylu…" Yai tried one more time to no avail. "Was this a good idea Dex? She'll never be the same…"

"It was now or later… either way she'd end up like this." Dex shiftd his weight onto his opposite leg. "I just wish things could go back to the way they were… before the war…" Dex rubbed his shaved head discouragingly. Suddenly Chaud's Pet beeped with an e-mail tone.

"Hm? An E-mail?" He pulled his Pet from its pouch and examined the screen. "Protoman how did we receive an E-mail? Only Scilab has authorization to our Pet through video calling…"

"Let me look into it." Protoman disappeared and reappeared a second later. "Um…"

"Hm?" Chaud raised an eyebrow, wondering what the hell was going on. Now Dex and Yai's attention were on the Pet.

"Well… I don't know what to make of this… Chaud there's only one person who has authorization to E-mail you… and… well… that's…" Chaud's eyes widened.

"What? Who is he talking about?" Yai questioned quizzically. Chad didn't answer her; instead he frantically opened the E-mail and read it over not once, not twice, but three times.

"What does it say?" Dex tried to peek over Chaud's shoulder, but by the time he could actually see the Pet, Chaud quickly replaced it in his belt carrier and took off in a sprint towards the Metroline Station.

"This… **ISN'T **possible!" He yelled out as he ran.

"Hey wait!" Dex and Yai followed him. They made their way around the block and down a few more streets until the Metroline came into view. A figure stood outside the stairs, but they were too far away to tell who it was. As Chaud came to a stop in front of the person and the two others caught up, Dex stopped dead in his tracks and Yai fell to her knees, both in complete shock at what they were seeing. Chaud just stared.

"I…I don't believe it…" Was all he could say.

…

…

Maylu slowed to a walk as she entered the ACDC park. She glanced around at her surroundings, not a person in sight. The park used to be a place full of life, laughter, and love… but the once public centerpiece of the town had taken a backseat to people rebuilding their lives. Maylu had her best childhood memories in this park, and most of them included Lan. As much as she didn't want him on her mind, she couldn't deny the images of the past that reminded her of the life she once had.

She kept glancing around as if searching for a way to fill the gap within her soul. What she really wanted to see was the image she recently witnessed while within the boundaries of the park… the image of the boy and girl holding hands and playing together happily. But no matter how hard or carefully she looked, the image would not appear… in its place was an image of a girl sitting alone on the swing set, kicking her feet at the ground in hopes of starting her momentum, but she was unable to. She looked around for someone to give her a push, but there was no one around to help, she was alone.

Maylu stumbled back into a park bench and fell right onto it. Although she sat up straight, her head was down, tears once again falling from her eyes and streaking down her face. Her hand went to her skirt pocket and she pulled out the familiar blue bandana that he left her with when she last saw him in the flesh. She clutched it between her hands in her lap, tears dropping from her chin onto the old blue fabric.

At the edge of the park, Chaud walked up to the street corner and eyed Maylu on the bench a little ways away. Next to him was the person they ran into at the Metroline.

"There." Chaud Pointed. The person nodded and stepped into the park, walking towards Maylu. Chaud watched as he moved and lost himself in complex thought. _There… there is absolutely no way… I don't understand how he could have… there has to be something in between the lines here… he's hiding something…_

The person moved closer to Maylu, but she didn't move, not even when she could hear the quiet footsteps against the grass. She figured that it was just somebody passing through; she had enough to think about.

"Maylu?" Her eyes snapped open. That voice. She had heard that voice before. In fact she had heard it countless times in her life, probably more times than any other person. She had to be imagining it, it was just the trauma playing tricks on her, it had to be. "Um… Maylu? Earth to Maylu!" That cockiness, that lack of tact, that confident roll of the words. Was she imagining it? Suddenly the person reached out and put a finger to her chin, tilting her head up. She took in everything she saw and almost lost all her breath. That tall figure, the messy brown hair, the face with those deep brown eyes, the blue jeans and leather jacket from when he left, the scare between his eyes.

"Lan…?" She knew she was hallucinating now. She knew full well that Lan was dead. This was just something she would get over eventually. She looked away thinking the vision would cease, but she felt weight on her shoulders. She looked to see hands upon them and stared back up into his eyes.

"What's gotten into you?" He questioned with a disappointed look on his face. There was no mistaking it now. He was right there. He was really right there in front of her. She didn't care how, she didn't care if it seemed impossible, but then again, the impossible was something Lan was always known for.

"Is… is it really you…?" She stammered, still unsure how to react. Lan smiled and removed his hands from her shoulders placing them on his waist.

"Last time I checked I was really me!" That sealed it. Maylu couldn't doubt it at all now, that comment was just so **LAN**. She stood up from the bench, looking back down as she did so. "Aw common, I haven't seen you in so long, at least look at me..." He pleaded childishly. Maylu began to shake slightly. "Um, Maylu?" She suddenly pulled back her arm and slapped him across the face as hard as she could. It was so unexpected that Lan almost fell over. "YEEEOUCH!" He yelped while rubbing his cheek. "What was that for?" He was ready to argue, but he stopped when he saw her glaring at him with her eyes flowing like rivers.

"You… you…" She clenched her fists tightly. "You are such…. A JERK!" She yelled out. Lan backed away slightly as she yelled.

"Jeez Maylu… I didn't mean…" But that's as far as he got. She rushed at him and threw her arms around his waist, squeezing him as tightly as she could.

"You… friggin… jerk…" She choked out as she began to sob. "You… I hate you… why'd you have to…" Lan could only smile at her comments. He reached his arms around her, placing one hand on her back and the other behind her head, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Yeah, I know… I'm an asshole… you don't have to remind me… but hey…" He tilted his head down to whisper into her ear. "I promised to come back didn't I? I was just running a little late… you know how I am with being on time." He joked. Maylu couldn't help but giggle at the comment, the first time she had laughed or smiled in a long time.

"Just…" She began. "Please, tell me right now I'm not dreaming… you are back right?" She pulled slightly away from him to look him in the eyes. "OW!" She suddenly yelped. "You pinched me!" She moved one hand to her back and shot him a confused look.

"Did you wake up?" He smiled. She continued to stare in bewilderment, but suddenly caught on and hugged him tightly again.

"Only you would be so childish… oh god… oh my god… you're actually here…"

"Heh…" He chuckled as she stuffed her face into his chest. He noticed a light blue color in his peripheral vision and glanced to his side to see his old lucky bandana swaying in the slight breeze from her hand. He smiled and turned his focus back to her.

Maylu couldn't believe how things suddenly turned out. The worst day of her life suddenly became the best day of her life. Lan had returned, once again defeating all odds.

But how did he do it? Dex and Yai didn't even bother to think about it, but Chaud wasn't so easily convinced. He was happy for Lan to be back, knowing that life could now really go back to the way it used to be. But he couldn't help but wonder exactly how Lan had managed to return. Not even Lan and his miracles could have saved him from the horrible circumstances he fell into. The longtime official made sure to look into it, but for the time being, Lan was home, and he didn't want to ruin that.

-Part 2 End-

-To be Continued in the final part of the story: "What Would You Do To Live Another Day?"-

* * *

Well now, just how in the world did Lan come back? There is absolutely no way he could have survived yet he did. There's something going on, but in reality, most of them dont care, because Lan is back. What an emotional rollercoaster for Maylu in one day huh?

Anyway, my normal schedual of about one chapter every 3 to 4 weeks shall continue from here on, again sorry for the delay.

As always, thank you so, SO much to all those who read and review my work. You are all the best.

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!


	12. Putting the Pieces Back Together

Hey all, it's been a while i know. I had a rough stretch of tests and papers in college, but thanksgiving break is approaching and i'm thankful for that (no pun intended) Hopefully i can speed things up, and ultimately i think i am going to scrap the pokemon story, just because i won't have time to work on it at the pace things are going.

Anyway here is the long awaited twelth installment of Love Knows No Limit, and the beginning of the final part of the story.

Story

"Talking"

_Thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me Talking)

Enjoy!

* * *

"Alright class, open your textbooks to page eighty three and begin reading chapter four…" The teacher's voice sounded throughout classroom 5-C of the newly, fully rebuilt Alpha Ayanokoji High. Yai's last name was now part of the School's official name due to the large amount her father donated to rebuild.

_Where is he?_ Maylu glanced at the door as it shut and locked at exactly 8:15 AM and then back to the empty seat one row forward and two columns left.

"Jot down a few notes if you feel the need, we will discuss the first section of this chapter in fifteen minutes…"

_You know… he still owes me for that bet…_ She smirked to herself as she opened her book and began flipping through the pages towards the designated assignment. As if on cue, a frantic knock rapped against the classroom door.

"...and I'm pretty sure I know who that is…" The short brunette teacher sighed as she pushed the glasses up on her nose. Giggles and chuckles arose from the students as she approached the door and released the auto lock. The door opened and in stumbled Lan, donning an orange light jacket, jeans, and a blue scarf wrapped around his neck. He had a new headband that still had Megaman's emblem on it, but was white instead of blue. He had let Maylu keep his old one to constantly remind her that he would never let her down. The class all turned and stared as he face planted on the floor, but quickly stood up and adressed the teacher with a goofy look on his face between his scars.

"Ah! Mrs. Tsumura! Am I on time?" He was smiling hopefully, but the look in her eyes was enough to tell him otherwise.

"No Mr. Hikari… or else you would have gotten in by yourself…" Although he was a whole head taller than her, her presence was dominating his. "That's the third time this week… your lack of punctuality may seem like an old joke now, but in the future you'd better clean that up!" She shook her index finger at him like she was scolding a preschool kid and he backed away with his head down slightly.

"S…Sorry…" He forced out, starting to feel awkward with all the students watching him.

"And look at you! It's December and cold enough that it's snowing and you're wearing a fall jacket! You need to take better care of yourself…"

"Okayiwillsorryforbeinglate!" Lan jumbled his words together as he threw off his coat and ran for his seat. The rest of the students laughed seeing Lan fall prey to their teacher's tendency to mother students. Mrs. Tsumura sighed and went back to the front of the class. Lan dropped his backpack and dug through it until he found the textbook the rest were looking at. He plopped it on his desk and pulled out his Pet, plugging it into the desk terminal. He started leaning from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of what page he was supposed to be on from those sitting around him. When he finally got settled her heard faint muffled giggling coming from behind him and to his right. He glanced back to see Maylu with a hand over mouth, trying to suppress her laughter. Lan just raised an eyebrow at her before turning to his book.

_No matter what happens… some things will never change…_ Maylu thought to herself before devoting all of her focus to the task at hand.

…

…

What is it like to come back from the dead? None could tell you because it's physically impossible. That is, if everyone views the term "dead" in the same context. Sometimes people can feel as if they have died, or that part of them is completely gone. If that part were to return, it would feel like being reborn.

But what of those who have no explainable reason to still be alive? Miracles are miracles, but they are sublime, unexplainable, and cannot be fabricated by something mortal. Then how does one survive all odds? How does one bend plausible reality? How do the dead, yet live?

Some things are best left unchallenged… but some dare to try.

…

…

Love Knows No Limit

By: Flashgunner

Part 3: What Would You Do to Live Another Day

Ch. 12: Putting the Pieces Back Together

"Why does she have to always act like my mom!" Lan complained as he placed his tray on the lunch table along with his pet and fell into the seat.

"Well if you decided to get here on time for a change, maybe she wouldn't." Maylu placed her tray across from his, sitting down with her pet beside her, and tucking her long hair behind her ears. "Although I have to admit it was funny watching you… you looked like you were going to burst when she started, I couldn't stop laughing." She giggled. Lan pouted and stared dumbly at her.

"Nice to know you're on my side." He sighed and smacked his head to the table.

"Always will be." She sarcastically replied as she began eating.

"I don't doubt the table tastes better than the food they serve us, but why the long face?" A new voice chimed in as Yai set her tray down. Being actually grown up now she was almost as tall as Maylu, but had recently cut her hair short down to her shoulders. She only received a muffled grumble in response before shifting her eyes to Maylu, who swallowed her portion of chicken before answering.

"Teacher babied him again." She smiled.

"Late again?" Yai turned back to Lan.

"Rrrrghrrh." Lan mumbled into the table.

"I'll take that as a yes." She sat down beside Maylu and set her Pet up beside her.

"Hey Lan…" The girls looked up to see Dex set his tray beside Lan. He suddenly grabbed Lan by the back of the head and picked his face up off the table.

"Wha…?" As all Lan had time to say.

"You missed your food." He lightly pushed Lan's face onto his plateful of chicken and whipped potatoes. Yai immediately dropped her fork and burst into laughter as Dex sat down, smiling devilishly. Maylu just lifted an eyebrow at Dex.

"Dex, was that necessary?" She asked in a serious tone, trying to be heard around Yai's constant laughing.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't think that was funny." He defended himself as he set Gutsman's Pet beside his tray.

"It was a bit immatu…" She stopped as Lan picked his face off the plate. His mouth and nose were covered in white whipped potatoes. He looked like an old man with a large white beard. Maylu faltered, trying to hold it in, but couldn't hold it back, erupting into giggles at the sight.

"Yeah, real funny…" Lan looked at Dex, he was wearing a light long-sleeved shirt of his favorite green color and despite how big bodied Dex was, the shirt was a little baggy on him. Lan swiftly grabbed one of the baggy sides of the shirt and rubbed it on his face till all the potatoes were off.

"HEY!" Dex roared as Lan finished and sighed in relief.

"Ah! That's better!" He smiled and edged away as Dex tried to grab at him. By now the girls were having trouble breathing because they were laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes.

"Oh man… I missed this so much the past years…" Yai managed to say as the boys finally calmed down.

"I don't care how old we get… I will never get tired of this stuff…" Maylu wiped a tear from her eye and resumed her lunch.

…

…

Even the world descending into chaos couldn't break these four from the good times; and now with Lan's miraculous return, their lives could begin right where they left off two years before.

The four were now all Juniors in high school, but a year older than most as would all the students be for the next few years due to the war's postponement of the education system. Now all eighteen, except for Yai at sixteen, it was if the war never happened. In just a few short months it passed as another incident in the history books. The weight and almost tragic outcome was more than anything they had ever faced in the past, but they all pulled through like always. But some scars never fade. The world was at peace once more, but foreign relations would be unstable for quite some time. Travel between countries was now extremely difficult with highly fortified security measures. But most of all, many people and Navi's lost their lives, and some who partook in taking those said lives, would be haunted by it for a long time.

…

…

"Mega's not here again…" Roll sighed and slumped into the cyber chair of the cafeteria's net lounge. Glide and Gutsman were there with her, but she wanted to see Megaman. When Lan returned, she nearly turned 180 degrees in her mood. She was so convinced they were dead and had accepted the fact long before Maylu had, but that mindset shattered instantly when the news reached her. Unfortunately, Megaman had changed drastically. Upon being greeted by all his friends he merely gave a nod. No smile, no words, no excitement. It was a very awkward moment for everyone, which Megaman himself ended by just leaving once no one had spoken for a minute. She had seen him a few times since then, but each time he hadn't changed. Maylu confronted Lan about his navi, but Lan himself wasn't sure.

"He was forced to fight and delete a lot of navis, some of which were using full synchro, effectively killing their operator as well… I was just like him for a while at first… but I accepted it as my mission eventually… Megaman… well… he never saw it as the right thing to do… but he did it anyway, over and over again against his better judgment… I've been trying to cheer him up lately, but I don't think I can…"

Roll sighed as she recalled Lan's explaination.

"You shouldn't worry yourself so much Miss Roll… I'm sure he just needs some time to sort himself out." Glide tried to be reassuring as he patted her shoulder.

"Glide it's almost been a month since they've returned… he hasn't changed a bit…"

"The war was tough on him…guts…" Gutsman was sitting in a chair opposite of Roll. "It might be a while before he comes to terms with himself…" Both Gutsman and Glide perked up as Roll stood from her chair and traced a command box with her finger. "What are you doing?" The large navi asked curiously. Roll entered a few commands and a small light enveloped her.

"I'm going to his Pet." She plainly stated.

"Miss Roll…!" Glide tried to protest, but she was gone before he could argue. "She really should leave him alone…" Glide sighed as he fell into Rolls now vacant chair. Gutsman didn't respond, but he didn't agree with Glide. Even with only one good eye he could see the connection Megaman and Roll shared.

_Go for it Roll… if anyone can get through to him, it's you…_

…

…

Megaman was organizing files when he detected an incoming teleport. He didn't bother to block it, nor did he feel the need to, it only took one glance at the code transmission for him to know who it was. A moment later, there was a small flash and Roll touched down in his pet. She spotted him immediately, but frowned when she saw his back turned to her.

"Mega?" He ceased movement for a brief moment, but continued a second later, moving files here and there with multiple command windows drawn around him. Roll sighed and moved closer, each step she took seemed to make him wince slightly. She stopped right beside him and tried to look in his eyes, but he looked away slightly, still moving files around as if trying to block her out. "Mega, look at me…" He didn't. "Mega!" She spoke louder and grabbed his arm to cease his arranging. She felt his arm immediately stiffen. "Why won't you talk to me? You know you can…" She tried to convince him, but he stood still as if frozen solid. She was becoming annoyed. "I don't care if you ignore the others! At least don't ignore me! Or do you not trust me anymore?" He still looked away. She quickly descended into a harsh tone. "Mega! Talk to me… or do I mean nothing to you now?" She was getting aggravated by his lack of acknowledgement, but it was having negative effects on her as well. She couldn't stand knowing that Megaman was ignoring her. Her of all people. Tears of anger and sadness were slowly building up. "FINE!" She yelled and threw his arm down, knocking him off balance slightly. "If you won't talk to me I won't talk to you!" Her voice was choked and desperate, but she turned and began stomping away from him with the intention of leaving immediately. Tears were now running down her cheeks, but down a visage of anger. She pulled up a command box and was halfway through typing in her teleport coordinates when she heard something.

"Roll…" She paused at a voice she hadn't heard in a long time. "I'm sorry…" Her hand was frozen over the command window. He hadn't spoken since he had returned. Her hand shook slightly, but she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head before entering in the remaining teleport code and disappearing from the pet. Megaman glanced towards the direction she stood a moment ago and sighed before returning to his monotonous busy work.

…

…

Life can have rough bumps. You never know when something will happen that will change your life or change you as a person. Sometimes you emerge for the better, sometimes for the worst, but that is a matter of willingness to face your challenges head on. Lan was willing to do anything to protect all he cared about. Megaman was the same, but he was forced to go against his morals and claim many lives. Whether or not Megaman will once again be the cheerful navi he once was depends on himself, and possibly a little external push.

But a question that still lies unanswered is, how did Lan and Megaman survive? Those who know him well didn't even give it a thought. Lan was back and once again cheated death, it was something he had done many times in the past. However, not everyone was willing to just let it go. Those who witnessed the actual event during the war could tell anyone that there was absolutely no way anyone could've lived through what Lan and Megaman apparently had. One witness in particular wanted all the facts and went everywhere to get answers.

…

…

"Chaud?" Yuuichiro looked to the door to his lab from his center lab table and set down the newest contraption he was putting together.

"Dr. Hikari." Chaud flatly replied.

"What brings you here?" Yuuichiro asked with a smile on his face. Chaud didn't respond for a moment, surprising Yuuichiro. It was unlike Chaud to pause or hesitate in any action no matter what it was.

"It's… regarding Lan." He began. Yuuichiro's eyes widened slightly and he beckoned him into the lab. They walked through the large table ridden work area and around to his desk which lay behind three cubicle walls set up in the corner of the lab. Yuuichiro sat down in his swivel chair behind his desk and offered Chaud a seat, but he turned it down with a wave of the hand and shake of the head.

"So…" Yuuichiro began. "What's the trouble?" Chaud looked away for a moment, but looked the head of scilab straight in the eyes.

"Dr. Hikari… I've been wondering… have you put much thought into the possible circumstances that led to Lan surviving the war?" Chaud was upfront and straight to the point, but Yuuichiro was confused.

"What's there to question…?" He quizzically eyed the young official. Chaud sighed.

"Look… something isn't right and I know it…" Chaud took a step towards the desk. "There is no way Lan could've survived the that explosion… I saw it with my own eyes…" His argument seemed to displease Yuuichiro.

"Chaud, what on earth are you trying to get at? This isn't the first time my son has survived a major disaster you know… I don't know under what context you bring me this nonsense, but you are being ridiculous." An aggravated tone was slipping into the good professors voice.

"I've done my calculations Dr. Hikari… every time in the past Lan's chances of survival have been next to none, but there was always a small ray of hope that he always managed to grab hold of… this time… putting together all that happened and gauging the explosion… plus the Undernet… there is no reasonable explanation for him being alive… not even a measly 0.1%... face it Dr. Hikari… something is isn't right here…" He was forced to pause as Dr. Hikari slammed his fist down on his desk, causing a wobbly stack of papers to topple and fall on the floor.

"Dammit Chaud! He's back and that's all there is to it! Why are you trying to over-examine it!" He yelled out uncharacteristically. Chaud's expression remained the same… Stoic and unwavering.

"Dr. Hikari… I understand why you are reluctant to accept it… but you are letting your emotions cloud your judgment… I'm just an official, I'm no scientist, but I figured this out on my own. Look me in the eye and tell me that you haven't considered the possibility of an irregular occurrence…" A long pause ensued. Chaud watched as Dr. Hikari's eyes darted back and forth as if he was trying his hardest to hold something back. Yuuichiro clenched his fist upon his desk and looked down.

"Get out."

"Dr. Hikari don't…"

"**I SAID GET OUT!**" Chaud's words froze in place. He sat still for a moment or two before rising from his seat and casually making his way out of the lab, leaving the disheveled head of SciLab behind in the corner of his office. Chaud was supposed to be on net patrol duty, so he hastened to the elevator and took it to the first floor. As the door opened he ran right into an older man with grey spiky hair.

"Oh, I'm sorry boy…" The old man said as he entered the elevator and pressed the basement button. Chaud stopped after getting a few steps from the elevator and turned around just in time to see the old man's face disappear behind the closing doors. He kept staring at the door for a few moments, he knew the man was Albert Wily, but he didn't know why he was suddenly curious. He passed it off as his thoughts being jumbled together and continued on his way.

…

…

Was it really all a mystery? Were all of his friends being too quick to play off Lan's return as another miracle? It wouldn't matter who you are, anyone who Lan is important to would have responded to Chaud the same way Dr. Hikari did. Perhaps Chaud's duties are overshadowing what he believes is true, but Lan's reappearance is skeptical, and as long as Chaud holds strong to his morals as an official, he will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of any mystery.

On the other hand some people could care less how he got back, and don't care to question it either. Lan was all they needed for their life to be complete again… for one person in particular it was like the giant gap within her was instantly filled in and stitched up.

…

…

"Maylu you awake?" Two fingers snapped together in front of her face. She flinched slightly and blinked a few times.

"Oh sorry…" She blushed and smiled at Lan, whose face was so scrunched up in confusion that it bent the scar on his nose. "I was daydreaming…"

"I noticed, if I didn't wake you up there you were about to fall down the…" He reached over and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Eep!" She stopped dead and looked down. She had almost taken a full stride out onto the air above the first of the four steps down the main entrance of the school.

"…stairs…" he finished while looking at her quizzically. "Wake up sleepy, you'll walk into a wall. What are you thinking about anyway?" He asked as he turned away to wave towards Dex and Yai at the school gates.

_If only you knew…_ She thought as she stared at his profile, blushing slightly as she dug her face into her pink scarf that kept her neck warm. She would never forget the moment he kissed her when she and Roll braved the military patrols to find him. It may not have been a real kiss, seeing as how they did it though full sycnhro, yet it felt real to her. But nothing had happened since then. She was sure Lan remembered it too, but it was such a circumstance scenario. Now that everything was back to normal, she longed to continue that connection they established, but neither of them had spoken about it. She was nervous about it, but perhaps he was too? She didn't know what to think, but she knew exactly what she wanted.

"So guess what guys?" Yai smiled while squeezing her books to her fine, white fur winter coat.

"You got ANOTHER red dress?" Dex sarcastically answered as Lan and Maylu tried not to snicker.

"I'll ignore that, but the Ayanokoji mansion is finally fully rebuilt! Which means…"

"After school netbattles!" Lan hollered while throwing his arms up in the air.

"Precisely! Why don't start it up again…? HEY!" Yai yelled towards Lan and Dex, who were both already jogging in the direction of her mansion. "GUYS!" She took off after them. Maylu only shrugged and began casually walking towards the mansion at her own pace.

As she walked she unhooked her pet from her waist to check her e-mail, but as she did she notice Roll sitting down in a cyber chair with her arms crossed over her chest and a miffed expression on her face. Mouse was trying to step towards her, but the angry mood she seemed to be in was making the miniature met shiver any time he tried to approach.

"What has you so grumpy?" Maylu's voice made Roll twitch.

"Rrgh…" She growled in annoyance.

"Roll… what is it?" Maylu asked flatly, denying Roll's attempts to ignore her operator.

"Mega." She responded angrily, kicking one of her feet out as if to let off steam.

"What **about** Megaman?" Maylu pressed. By now Roll could see she wasn't getting out of this one so she sighed and spun the chair around to face Maylu.

"He's still ignoring me!" She barked while thrusting her arms straight down to her sides. "They've been back for so long and he still won't say a word! It's like I don't exist…" The last words made her sniffle, but she stopped herself from tearing up.

"Really?" Maylu's scrunched her eyebrows. "He's still sulking? I know he was affected by the fighting, but I thought being home and among the other's would having back to normal by now…"

"I KNOW!" Roll nearly screamed as she stood up from her chair. Mouse let out a small shriek and dropped his helmet over his head. "And that's the worst part! If he's still feeling down why won't he at least speak to me or let me help him?" She plopped back down. "I've always been there to support him… I've always shown I care… and for a while we were growing closer than friends… but now the war has ruined it… ruined everything…" She let one tear fall. "He always accepted me with open arms in the past… why not now…?" She stopped there, holding back her tears the best she could. She didn't want to cry because she was still slightly angry, and didn't want to give that up so easily.

"Hmm…" Maylu pondered what she could do to help her distraught navi. "I'm going to talk to Lan about it again… you're right Roll… this is ridiculous, and as Megaman's operator, Lan should be addressing this problem… if he isn't I'll have to knock some sense into him." Roll didn't answer; she just sat back down in her chair and continued to brood as mouse shakily tilted his helmet up to peek out. Maylu sighed and re-hooked her pet to her waist holder. _Lan, your brother needs you… I understand your explanation for him, but Megaman needs more support than you're giving him…_ With that thought on her mind she continued down the snow covered path towards Yai's.

…

…

It took them no time to get settled in and plug their pets into the main terminal. The mansion had been rebuilt to look identical to the old one, so it was like the past all over again. All the navis touched down in the re-constructed cyber lounge of Yai's social room. Glide began the pleasantries at once as always and was engaged in a conversation with Gutsman right after. Roll listened in from the comfort of a cyber replica bean bag, but kept stealing glances at Megaman, who was standing a good distance away from them, turned away and staring into space. Roll sighed and tucked her knees to her chest wondering if she would ever get the old Megaman back; the cheerful, optimistic, caring Megaman. The Megaman she was head over heels in love with.

From the real world, Maylu was eying the display screen with a live feed from the cyber lounge. Specifically she was looking at Roll, and decided right then and there that she had had it with all this. Despite the fact that Lan and Dex were already at each other's throat's about who would win in a netbattle, she grabbed him by the arm and began dragging him towards the hallway.

"Wha…? Maylu what are you doing?" He questioned with obvious bewilderment as he was tugged along.

"I need to talk to you." She put plainly.

"Hey! I wasn't done him!" Dex pounded his fist into his opposite palm, fire glowing in his good eye.

"You can be a good boy and wait, this is important." Her flat tone of voice made Dex's expression go from angered to blank.

"Uh… ok…" Was all he could say as Maylu pulled Lan right out of the room and closed the door.

"Oooo… what's going on here?" Yai mischievously robbed her hands together and trotted towards the door, putting her ear up against it.

Maylu let go of Lan and glared at him.

"Aw, what'd I do now…?" He sighed, seeing her expression.

"Lan… why is Megaman acting like this?"

"Like what?"

"LAN!" She was I no mood for the "play dumb" act.

"Okay, okay… jeez… I already told you why he's like this…didn't I?"

"But it's no excuse for him to be ignoring Roll… Megaman wouldn't do that no matter what was wrong with him, and you know that damn well…" She had him against the wall, physically and verbally. "You're not only his operator; you're his brother as well… so go help him!" She poked him in the shoulder and turned back to the door.

"Alright… I'll try again…" Lan complied while looking away.

"That's more like it…" Maylu paused as she opened the door to the social room and Yai nearly fell into her from leaning against the door.

"Yeek!" Yai shrieked as she barely caught herself from tumbling to the floor. Both Lan and Maylu snapped their attention to her. They stared silently for a moment, but Maylu caught on.

"And just what were **you** doing?" She asked in a frustrated tone, knowing full well how Yai thought.

"Um… nothing!" She quickly responded and scurried back into the room. Maylu sighed and glanced back at Lan, who looked absolutely clueless.

"What was that all about?" He blinked, still trying to process what was going on.

"Yai was listening in… because she can't stay out of people's business…" Maylu folded her arms over her chest and shook her head.

"Why would she do that?" Lan asked as he put his hands behind his head and began walking back to the door himself.

"Because…" Maylu blocked herself from continuing the instant she realized she was about to answer that question. A faint blush crept onto her visage and she turned away from him. "Nothing! Nothing at all!" She was back in the social room before Lan could say another word. He just shrugged and followed suit so he could retrieve his pet.

…

…

Megaman was surprise when he was suddenly called back to his pet. He immediately turned to the view screen expecting Lan to talk to him. However, Lan's face did not appear. Megaman blinked a few times and reached out to trace a command panel, but right before he connected the edges, the view screen sprang to life and Lan's face appeared on it. With one look, Megaman could tell that Lan was no longer in the social room by the familiar hallway wall pattern of the Ayanokoji mansion.

"Hey Hub… what's up?" Lan began very casually.

"Hey…" Was all the blue navi said in response. Lan frowned.

"Come on man… you need to lighten up…" Lan said out of nowhere. Megaman sighed and looked away.

"Lan… how can I? After what happened… and now… with what happened to you…" He trailed off.

"Hub, what happened already happened, it's in the past and we can't change it… what's important is we found a way to keep going and that's all that matters…" Lan explained with a sudden serious tone.

"But Lan… I can't stand it… I can't stand knowing that we're… keeping this from all of them…"

"That's enough Hub."

"But…"

"No more buts bro… if you didn't help me I'd be gone… and if we didn't find a solution I wouldn't be standing here either… I've been given a chance to keep going and I expect you to fully support me with this… But as your brother I'm asking you to stop over thinking it…"

"To me it seems you're not thinking enough about it…" Megaman turned back to him. "Your acting like this isn't an issue."

"As long as they don't know things can go back to the way they were… frankly I don't know why your letting such an opportunity pass you by… You've gotten back to your home, to your friends, and to a certain pink acquaintance that risked everything just to see you once while you were away… C'mon man why are you letting all the good stuff just fly by? I'm not the only one with a chance to live again… you have one too, so use it!" Lan winked at him. Megaman looked down and thought it over. "Think about it Hub… I did what I had to because I knew it would make May… er, my friends happy…" Megaman couldn't help but crack a small smirk upon hearing Lan conspicuously switch the course of his sentence. "Now you should make your friends happy too… no more sulking."

"Lan…" Megaman looked up and smiled, it wasn't a very strong smile, but it showed understanding. "Your right, I just want what's best for everyone… and if keeping a secret will do that, then I'll stop being so obviously depressed."

"Atta boy Hub!" Lan cheered. "Cmon, let's go back, their waiting for us."

…

…

Maylu's eyes went to the door as it re-opened and Lan stepped through. She immediately noted the smile on his face as he looked to her and gave her a thumbs-up. She smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow. _Wow that was fast…_ _If he actually managed to get through to Megaman that quickly then he's a navi-whisperer._ She joked to herself.

"That was quite a long trip to the bathroom man, you fall in?" Dex chuckled as Lan shot him an amused glare.

"I had to use the bathroom on the other side of the house… the one near me auto-locked because it thought I was you." Lan shot back with a snide smile as he plugged his pet back into the system. Lan and Dex continued to shoot off crude remarks as Megaman transferred into the system once more.

…

…

As he touched down he swept his eyes across his friends. Glide and Gutsman were comparing something, indicated by the panel drawn beside them and the argument ensuing, but Roll was still sitting in the bean bag chair, facing away from him.

_Lan's right… I gotta fix this, I'm just being stupid if I don't embrace another chance to live how we used to…_ He took a deep breath and walked up to Roll, nervous for a reason he couldn't place. It was Roll after all, why was he so tense?

"Um… Roll?" He dumbly and quietly called to her as he approached; scrunching his face at how pathetic of an attempt it was to get her attention. Se he cleared his throat and tried again. "Roll~*" His voice cracked this time, and she still didn't hear him. He gritted his teeth and stared at her, hoping she didn't hear the embarrassing screech in his voice. He took a deep breath and waited until he was right behind her. "Roll?" He finally managed to say it properly. He noticed her twitch as if surprised, but she sat still for a few moments before slightly turning her head. She laid eyes on him, noticing the discouraged look on his face, but turned back around.

"Oh so **now** you talk to me…" She coldly responded. Megaman flinched, but understood his circumstances. Never once before in his life had he blatantly ignored Roll, so he could see where this harshness was coming from.

"Yeah… sorry about that…" He sheepishly replied while rubbing the back of his helmet. "I shouldn't have ignored you."

"Yeah you shouldn't have." Her words cut through him.

_I'm trying to apologize… why is she doing this?_ "Roll… please…" He lost himself there.

"Please what?"

"Please listen to me." She snapped around and glared at him.

"Like you listened to me?" She growled before abruptly turning back around.

"Uh…" He was stuck. _Crap… what have I gotten myself into…?_

Maylu was watching from her Pet screen. _Roll, your being a little harsh… I thought you wanted him to talk to you… this isn't the time to play tough girl…_ She glanced up at Lan, who wasn't even paying attention to the whole scene. She frowned and casually strolled past him, nudging him in the back as she past. Lan looked up at her confusingly as she continued moving, but she was subtly pointing to her pet as she did. Lan glanced down and picked up his pet, taking in the situation. He glanced back at Maylu who was now sitting on the couch in the lounge; pretending to listen in on the argument Dex and Yai were having about snacks. She made a hand motion that looked like pushing and pointed at her pet.

"Ah." Lan got the gist of what she meant. He switched on his communications with Megaman, but narrowed the signal to just him. "*psst* Hub, you doing okay?" Megaman perked up hearing Lan's voice. He took a few steps backwards and drew a small view screen with his finger. Lan appeared on it and he whispered back.

"No. Not at all…" He solemnly replied.

"She's not buying it?" Lan raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's odd, she used to stop at nothing to get a word out of you no matter what it had to do with her…"

"I know… and that's what I'm used to… what do I do here?" He pleaded for an answer. Lan put things into perspective and it was true, Megaman had never been in a situation like this with Roll before, because he never had to be, she was always so cheerful and bubbly when it came to him, so this was like looking at a different person. But that gave Lan an idea.

"I got it!" Lan snapped his fingers with a smile of confidence. Megaman's eyes lit up in anticipation. "Hug her." Megaman's shoulders dropped.

"What?" He asked, dumbfounded. "Hug her?"

"If she says let go, refuse. If she fights it, don't let her." Lan winked. "Trust me, it'll work." Lan knew exactly how Roll was. Even if she was miffed at him, she would definitely not turn down a hug from him, and if she did, as long as Megaman didn't let go, she would succumb to it.

"I don't want to be rough with her though…" Megaman meekly stated.

"I'm not asking you to beat her up Hub… just hold on to her… now go ahead." He gave his brother a thumbs up before the screen disappeared. Megaman swallowed hard and took a couple deep breaths before approaching Roll again. By now she was beginning to wonder why he had been silent for so long, but she was interrupted as a pair of blue arms suddenly reached around her body, wrapped around her waist, and pulled her backwards.

"EEEK!" She shrieked as Megaman forced her against him, blushing furiously. "HEY! LET ME GO!" She demanded. Megaman swallowed his gentle nature and firmly replied.

"No."

"Wh…what? Put me down!" She demanded again, this time trying to pry his arms of her, but he held on tight, refusing to budge an inch.

"I said no." He repeated. Roll continued to resist for another moment or two, but eventually her efforts began to weaken. Soon, she gave up and sat there at his mercy. When Megaman felt she wouldn't fight back anymore, he took a bold step and quickly turned her around before latching back on. She didn't resist at all as he completed this motion, but Megaman realized something. He looked up to see Gutsman and Glide staring at them with blank expressions on their faces. _Oh shoot… now what…?_ Megaman was about to reconsider what he was doing with the unfavorable location, but a bright light surrounded them both and they disappeared.

"Um…" Gutsman muttered.

"My thought exactly…" Glide answered.

They touched down in Roll's pet; Megaman looked around confusingly, but spotted a view screen with Maylu winking at him before it disappeared. _I'll have to thank her later… _He thought as he turned his attention back to Roll. She was facing him now, body completely relaxed with her arms tucked against his chest. _Well I got to this part… now what? Lan you backed me into a corner…_

Megaman was worrying himself sick, but he had nothing to worry about, Roll was in a daze, she was so comfortable that she was almost half asleep in his arms. Her mind was combating between be angry and forgive him. _He ignored me… he never ignores me… but… now he's hugging me… he wants to make up for it… but he ignored me, I hate him, but no I still lo…_

"Roll?" Her thoughts were interrupted as he gently whispered her name. She looked up at him. His face was written with hesitation. It was clear he wanted to say something, but he was struggling to let it out.

"Y…" She hesitated. _No… this is wrong… I want to forgive him…_ "Yes?" She fully replied.

"Do… Do you…" He paused, cleared his throat and started over. "I mean are you still… no…" He stopped again and grunted as if annoyed with himself. _Come on Hub! She already said it once! There's no harm in asking!_ He mentally yelled at his lack of confidence. "Do…you still love me?" Roll's eyes snapped open. If there was ever such a wide curveball thrown it would've hit the balcony seats before heading back to home plate. She froze in place completely, her brain running in circles, trying to find a way to respond, but instead she found a memory…

…

…

_"I have the very same reasons for taking part in this as Lan… I need to go."_

_"__**NO!**__"_

_"Roll…"_

_"__**No! Hub! Don't go!**__ … Don't… please… I… Love you…"_

…

…

All the trauma and all the tragedies of the war had made her completely forget. She had desperately confessed her feelings to him in attempt to sway his decision on fighting in the war. She was still caught in a tight spot, being unprepared for the subject, but she found him incredible. He remembered. He remembered that she said it. He held onto it despite the harsh fighting and the state it left him in afterward.

Megaman was beginning to worry when she went silent and stiffened. _Dammit… did I ruin another perfect moment?_ He cursed himself for being too forward.

"You…" She suddenly sputtered out, catching his attention instantly. "You remember that…? That was… two years ago…" She continued. Her voice slightly muffled due to her head being on his chest. Megaman wasn't sure how to take that. "I hate you!" She suddenly yelled out and pounded a fist against his chest. Megaman's eyebrows raised in shock as she yelled, but she remained in his arms. "I hate you for leaving! I hate you for making me worry! I hate you for making me think and accept you being gone forever! I hate you!" She continued, each time hitting his chest again. Megaman was beyond confused, and even more so when she reached around and grabbed him around the waist, hugging him tightly. "Why did you have to do all that to me… why…?" She sniffled. "You're such a jerk…" That sounded familiar. She sounded just like Maylu. Megaman finally figured out where she was going and smiled.

"I take after my operator, can you blame me?" He joked. Roll pulled back slightly and stared up at him. "You know…" He suddenly began. "I haven't seen this in a while…" He slid his arms up her back to the latches on her helmet. Her hands shot up and grabbed his wrists halting him for a moment. She stared directly into his eyes and him onto hers. Slowly, she let her hands slide off his wrists, closed her eyes, and tilted her head slightly downward. Megaman smiled as he unlatched the tabs that secured her helmet and placed his hands on both sides of it. He slowly lifted the helmet off her head, as he did her polygonal ponytail flashed and turned into its human-like, fully down state. Megaman smiled as he watched the beautiful golden locks of hair fall from beneath the pink headpiece and down to her sides. Roll opened her eyes and stared up at him as he set her helmet down and tucked the stray strands of her hair behind her ears.

"Your turn." She said as she reached up and repeated the process to him, which was a tad more difficult due to his height. They were soon both without their headwear and staring at each other. Megaman's hair was the same messy brown she remembered it to be, but it had just been so long, for both of them.

"Roll…" Megaman suddenly began as he looked away. "I… I think I figured out why I ran away that one night…" Roll was confused.

_One night? Ran away… OH!_ It came back to her; again the war had drowned out some of the memories of what happened only a few days prior to it. It was the day they solved the hoax of the "Shadow Syndicate" and the two of them were together. One thing led to another and the two shared their first kiss, but unexpectedly, Megaman panicked and ran away. Her face was marked with a look of understanding, so he continued.

"I felt something that night… something I couldn't describe. A feeling welled up within me that none of my coding or data had an answer for. It scared me to the point where my only reaction was to get away and figure it out… but… that was probably the stupidest thing I have ever done…" Roll listened to him intently. "Now that I look back on it, I made the dumb mistake of looking for a logical answer built into my program to describe what was going on… but it was a simple answer that you could've easily told me… because you know yourself and know what you want… I sometimes feel I depend more on my base programming rather what I truly feel… and from that… I think I figured it out…" He stepped forward and hugged her around the waist. Roll openly welcomed the action because she could clearly see where he was going with this and it was making her giddy. "Roll… it was my feelings… my feelings were causing reactions I did not recognize… but after being away for so long, being gone and experiencing life threatening situation after situation… I realized what I felt, what I needed, and why I kept fighting day after day with the thought of seeing you again… It's because…"

_Please say it… oh please say it…_ Roll prayed to herself as the moment was already making her melt.

"It's because you're more to me than a good friend, or even my best friend for that matter… Roll… I love you…" Her smile widened immensely as he hugged her tightly to his body, resting his chin on her head. "After all the things we've been through and all the hard times we've faced… you've been at my side physically and mentally for all of them. You've always been there for me even if it jeopardized your life… I couldn't ask for anyone else… nobody is as special to me as you… and I think it's time I appreciated that with all my heart…"

Roll was certain that if no one ever spoke to her again she wouldn't care, because she had never heard anything as delightfully wonderful as that. She wanted to scream out in ecstasy and let out all the emotion that had been bottled up for so long and survived the harsh nature of the hardships and war.

"So… uh…" Megaman suddenly stuttered as he brought her back out at arm's length. "You don't… really hate me do you?" He gave her a half worried grin. Roll tried to hold her breath, but ultimately failed and burst out laughing.

"You're kidding right?" She forced out as she kept giggling with no end in sight.

"Well you did just proclaim it half a dozen times or so…" Megaman sarcastically remarked. Roll threw her arms around his shoulders and got really close to his face.

"One, I wasn't serious, I was venting… two, I'd have to have my coding re-written backwards to hate you after that amazing speech you just gave… and three…" She pushed forward and crashed her lips against his.

"MRPH!" Megaman mumbled in surprise and lost his balance. The two plummeted to the floor, but instead of yelping in surprise or squirming to regain himself, Megaman returned her rambunctious affection, locking the two in an intense kiss on the floor. After a minute or so, Roll pulled away and propped herself on her arms over him. Megaman sighed contently and smirked at her. "And three?" He snidely remarked. She smiled right back.

"Of course I still love you, dummy." She remarked as she fell back in and went for another round.

…

…

"Okay Lan! You and me! Let's do this! Just like old times!" Dex pointed directly at Lan as he barked his challenge. Lan was naturally ready with a taunt.

"Eager to continue the daily beat down? I didn't think you'd miss it that much."

"OH YEAH?" Dex spat back over Yai's giggling. "Why don't test who the hard-times made stronger then?" Dex shook a fist at Lan.

"Fair enough…" He picked up his pet, but Megaman was not in the lounge. He looked around, confused. Maylu spotted his actions.

"Ah Lan, he's in here with Roll…" She waved him over. Lan walked towards Maylu, who punched in a few commands, but froze in place with wide eyes as Lan approached.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Lan stepped beside her and leaned in to look at the Pet screen. His jaw dropped. "…oh…" He blinked a few times and glanced at Maylu, who still hadn't moved, but was blushing furiously. "Ahem…" Lan cleared his throat and turned to Dex. "Um… why don't you battle Yai first…" He smiled stupidly while rubbing the back of his head.

"Huh? You forfeiting on me?" Dex questioned discouragingly.

"Ha ha, hardly… Megaman's just a bit…" He glanced back at Maylu's pet briefly. "…preoccupied…" Dex sat there trying to understand what they were getting at, but brushed it aside and began demanding Yai for a battle. Lan glanced back at Maylu, who had managed to regain movement but was still completely red in the face.

"Preoccupied… may be a very… light way to put it…" She managed to say. Lan smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I'll say…" The two of them had a clear view of their navi's on the floor, making out. _You still surprise me Hub… you go in there an emotional wreck and a few minutes later you're lip locked with her... now THAT'S efficient!_ Lan chuckled to himself as the two watched, unbeknownst to the two intimate navis.

-To Be Continued-

* * *

Ah that scene... i love how the scene with the navis turned out... So things have gotten back into motion right... right? But wait, what are Lan and Megaman trying to hide? Why is chaud so eager to find out? Does Yuuichiro know something's wrong, but refusing to adress it? Why was Chaud curious about Wily? All this and more to come as the story continues.

Hoo haa, this took longer than i wanted it tom but school is tough as usual, they run us into the ground daily. Football is coming to a close, but track is starting two weeks later, my life is real packed! But i won't let those things hinder my passion too much, i simply will never let go of writing, it's something i want to live by someday after all.

As i awlays say, again and again, I deeply thank everyone who reads and/or reviews my work. You have no idea how much it means to me, you're all awsome.

Please Read and Review!

Flashgunner, over and out!


	13. The Criminal in the Shadows

Hey! I'm not dead! hehehe... that being said this isnt a very impressive comeback, but anywho i am back in my swing now. I apologize, the first semester of college for me this year was STRENUOUS on me. When i got home i had no incentive to write between just wanting to not touch microsoft word for a while and the fact that i had a stack of video games to play through from christmas.

Either way i took a little break from writing, but im going back into my schedule now. With one slight change, i'm going to make another chapter for my golden sun story before taking the slight detour to continue "previewing" my starfox story. after that it will be back to the old EXE GS EXE SF GS EXE GS SF schedule.

enough talk, i won't keep you any longer. Here is the thirteenth installment of Love Knows No limit!

Story

"talking"

_thingking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(Me talking)

Enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

By: Flashgunner

Ch. 13: The Criminal in the Shadows

"Hero Sword incoming Megaman! Take him down in one h… ah shit!" Megaman caught ear of Lan's voice as he nimbly sidestepped multiple volleys of buster fire. The navi he was netbattling was a standard navi with multiple weapon and armor add-ons, and he was keeping Megaman at bay with a custom buster cannon.

_Mixing a standard buster with a supervulcan code… that's a clever custom battle chip…_ Megaman glanced down at his arm as he kept light on his feet. _Um… where's the sword?_ He glanced back up just in time to throw his arms up as a blast collided with them, making his feet skid back a few inches. "Lan! Any day now!" He yelled.

"Hey don't get snappy! I dropped it and it fell behind my desk!"

"Oh joyous… just give me a different one!" He ordered as he did a back flip to avoid three more blasts.

"Almost… got it… YES! Incoming battlechip!" He yelled as Megaman's arm glowed a bright green momentarily, replacing his arm with a powerful blade, brimming with energy. "Double incoming! Area Grab on the way!" Megaman closed the distance between him and the navi in an instant and with one swipe of the hero sword, the Navi's cannon was sliced in two and most of his arm fell off with it. The navi yelped in pain and collapsed to a knee. His operator called him back, signaling Megaman's victory.

"Alright! Nothing to it!" Lan leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and propping them up on his desk with his hands resting behind his head. "Good to fight for fun again isn't it?" Megaman turned and flashed him a smile.

"That's for sure… I feel a lot better." He cracked his knuckles and neck. "It feels good to be relaxed…"

"See I told you… take this chance, there's no point in over thinking it." Lan re-visited the talk he had with his navi a day ago. _Speaking of a day ago…_ Lan smirked. "Sooooooo…" Lan snidely slurred the word. "I take it things are okay with you and Roll now?" Megaman's reaction was the polar opposite of what was expected. Instead of stuttering and falling over his own words, he placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest with pride.

"Can't even begin to tell you!" He stated with a wide grin. Lan chuckled at his navi's straight forward answer as something behind Megaman caught his eye. A navi transfer light, he didn't have to clear access to his PC, so he knew exactly who it was. However instead of saying anything he looked back down at Megaman.

"Despite being at Yai's yesterday, you didn't netbattle at all… but then again you had reasons… you **WERE** quite preoccupied…" Lan's words caused Megaman's face to go blank, but for only a moment as he was determined to hold his ground. So Lan had seen the two of them get "intimate", he wasn't going to let that ruin his pride.

"Well, all it took was some manning up, a little charm, and…"

"And…?" A feminine voice came from behind Megaman as two pink hands suddenly rested on his shoulders.

"YAAAAA!" Megaman nearly jumped twenty feet in the air and hunched over losing the "manly" act in a millisecond. He shakily turned around as Lan burst out laughing until he fell out of his chair. Behind him was a familiar, giggling pink navi.

"That was quite a mood swing…" She said in between her small fits of laughter. Megaman sighed and stood up straight.

"Well, you scared the megabytes out of me…" He slightly whined and pouted at her.

"Aw, I'm sorry I'll be gentler with you next time." She tapped his nose with her index finger. Before Megaman could answer she shifted her focus to Lan, who had just regained himself from the floor. "Lan? I'm going to borrow Megaman for a bit!" She latched on to his arm and began tugging him towards the exit portal.

"Huh? Wh…" Before Lan could question Roll, all he got was a shrug from Megaman as the two disappeared from the PC. "Um… okay…" he said to no one as he contemplated how to amuse himself while his navi was absent.

From the other side of the portal Megaman and Roll emerged on the net. Megaman's first attempt to ask what Roll's actions entailed was cut off as she traced a view screen. Maylu appeared on it; she was wearing a white winter hat with her red hair hanging down from beneath and had a white scarf around her neck, which signified to Megaman that she was somewhere outside.

"He's all yours Maylu." She winked to her operator.

"Thanks Roll…" No other words were shared as the view screen closed.

"So, care to tell me what's going on?" Megaman finally got out as Roll latched to his arm like a magnet.

"Oh, Maylu just wanted some privacy with Lan… which includes us, so why don't we go to the square for a while…?" She cheerfully smiled at him as he ran through her explanation.

"Privacy…? What would she want privacy fo… ooooooh…" He put two and two together. "Heh… let's hope he's not **too** dense about it!" He joked, earning a giggle from Roll as the two began a slow walk towards the square.

…

…

"What to do… what to do…" Lan was spinning back and forth in his swivel chair, pondering what to do without Megaman, it was a Saturday, but he hadn't heard from any of his friends, and he wasn't desperate enough to do homework.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

"Hm?" _I wonder who that is._ Lan spun around in his chair with the intention of getting up to see who was at the door, but instead he let it spin all the way around until he was facing his desk again. _Nah probably just a delivery or something… Besides… Mom will get it._ The doorbell rang again. _Geez, they're impatient…_ He leaned back again in attempt to lose himself in possible distractions, but the doorbell rang yet again and this time was pressed three times. Lan sat right up in his chair. _Wow, that's rude… but, wait why isn't mom answering the… OH CRAP MOM'S NOT HOME!_ Lan jumped out of his chair and sprinted down the stairs. He tried to round the corner to the front door, but his socks slipped on wooden floors near the entrance. "Whooooooa!" *Crash* Lan ran headfirst into the wall and fell over. "Ow! Dammit!" Not letting it faze him he shot up and opened the door quickly. "Huh?" Waiting right in the doorway, was Maylu. She was dressed from head to toe in white winter gear including a hat, scarf, puffy jacket, and white fur boots. She was wearing a medium length skirt but had warm black leggings on beneath. Her expression was quizzical with her eyebrows scrunched and one raised.

"That sounded graceful… did you try to fight the wall?" She sarcastically commented as she stepped into the house.

"Well hello to you too…" Lan rolled his eyes as he closed the door. He glanced at Maylu's back as she seemed to tense from his response.

"Um, sorry… that was a bit harsh…" She suddenly u-turned her previous comment. Lan just stared dumbly.

"You okay?" He said while pacing towards her. Why don't you take off that stuff, you'll burn up in here…" He reached for her shoulder but she spun around quickly.

"Yes! I'm perfectly fine!" He face was bright red, but lucky for her, Lan passed it off as her being cold from outside. "Actually how about we go for a walk? Maybe get something to eat?" Now Lan was curious.

"Wait, but isn't Roll with…?"

"Megaman? Yes she is…" She quickly finished for him. Her frantic behavior was anything but subtle.

_She strongly pushes me to act on things the night before and she shows up a day later fidgeting like a nervous wreck? _"Okay Maylu, what's going on…" He gave her a stern look. She bit her lip and glanced down at her boots.

"Um… I just… wanted to spend some time with you… you know… just the two of us…" She glanced up at Lan, whose eyes were still fixed on her, quickly looking back down. "I mean… it's been so long since we've… spent time together like that…" She finished quietly. Lan's brain suddenly cued in.

_Hey dummy! She wants to hang out with you ALONE. Did you forget this is something you wanted?_ Lan smiled. "Sure." He plainly replied while moving towards the coat closet. Maylu's.

"R…really?" She was expecting him to protest how cold it was or that he'd rather stay home because it was Saturday afternoon. Lan poked his head out from behind the closet door, giving her an incredulous look.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?" He disappeared behind the door again just in time for Maylu to blush heavily.

_Okay, okay, don't screw this up Maylu… he may be dense at times, but you know he cares… definitely more than he leads on… otherwise he wouldn't have kissed you when you went to see him a year ago in the war…_

"Paging Maylu…" Her thoughts ceased and Lan was right in front of her wearing a brown winter jacket and boots, waving a hand in front of her eyes. Instead of saying anything or trying to justify her spaciness, she just stared at him win an obvious blush spread across her face. Lan smiled, and in a joking manner, grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her around and pushed her towards the door. She finally came to her senses as he opened the door and wiggled herself free.

"Very funny." She giggled, seeing the humor of the situation.

"Ah one second, I have to grab my Pet…" Lan broke away and ran back upstairs.

_Settle down and be normal… you're totally in love with him so don't ruin it by being nervous._ She took a deep breath and composed herself as Lan came back down the stairs with his Pet latched to his belt. The two made their way outside and he locked the door behind him.

"So… Where to?" He asked upon stuffing his hands into his coat pockets.

"Um…" she glanced back and forth slowly as if trying to stall for time. She really hadn't put much thought into it; she just wanted to be with him. "How about we… just walk and decide as we go?" She smiled weakly.

"Okay!" Lan agreed with little thought. Maylu breathed a sigh of relief and made the first move by turning left. Lan followed right beside her. As they walked, little was said, which struck both of them as odd. To Maylu it was odd because of how talkative Lan was, but given her less than normal behavior she could understand why the air between them was slightly awkward.

Lan on the other hand, being unaware of Maylu's true intentions was baffled that Maylu hadn't at least attempted conversation. _Something is up… and whatever it is, it's bothering her…_

_Start talking… ask him how he's doing… no that'll make it obvious that I don't know what to say… oh for god's sake Maylu SAY SOMETHING…_ Maylu's brain was screaming at her, and the more she thought about it the more it made her blush. Then out of the corner of her eye she spotted the local pizza joint. It wasn't part of her plan, but she needed to sit down and talk to him, and what better way to lead into it than using her previous offer for food. Ironically though, she never got the chance.

"How about we eat here?" Lan suggested while pointing at the place. Maylu opened her mouth to speak, but a sharp squeak came out in place of her voice. She quickly cleared her throat and tried again.

"Yes! Good idea!" She quickly responded while breaking off and heading for the front door. Lan stared, confused at her as she passed, shrugged, sighed and followed her. The place wasn't very large, but had enough room to not be considered cramped. It was a typical "walk-in-sit-down" restaurant with the chef's out in front making the pizzas and a seating area with tables and booths. Autographed pictures of celebrities who visited the pizza place were hanging up on the walls surrounded by a bright red and yellow wallpaper design. The place was busy, but not crowded, as Maylu easily chose a booth that was somewhat secluded from where most of the people were sitting. She slid onto the light blue cushions of the booth and removed her coat, hat, and scarf. Watching Lan as he sat down across from her, and did the same with his coat. A waiter had practically followed them as they entered, dressed in a red and yellow shirt that matched the wallpaper.

"What can I get you two?" He asked, pulling a pen and small pad of paper from his pocket. Being a gentleman, Lan waited for Maylu to order first, but…

"Can you give us a few minutes actually?" She requested. The waiter smiled.

"Sure thing. Just wave me down then you're ready." He answered professionally and went about his business. Lan watched as the waiter moved away, then turned to Maylu. She was looking down at the table with her hands intertwined in her lap. She looked like she was trying to make herself smaller, trying to shrink away from something.

"Alright Maylu…" Lan began. "What's on your mind? You've been acting strange since we left my house…" Maylu didn't move from her position, but she responded.

"Well… I've wanted to… talk to you…"

"You talk to me all the time, that can't just be it…" Lan was determined to get to the bottom of this. He had an idea of what was going on, but he wanted to confirm it.

"No… I know that… I mean I've wanted to talk to you in private… away from the others… for a while now…" She paused and slowly looked up at him. She tilted her head up as well, but only as far as was required to see him. "I've wanted to talk to you… about… us…" A noticeable tinge of red crept onto her cheeks. Lan's expression went blank for a moment, but it was quickly replaced with a look Maylu knew well. The look that meant "I'm curious and actually listening intently to you" Lan wore only if he was serious about something.

"Okay… I'm listening…" He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, crossing his hands and resting his chin atop them. Maylu looked down and back up.

"I… um…I…" She stuttered, face turning redder by the second. "I… wanted to talk about… our relationship…" Lan's eyes opened slightly wider. "I mean… a lot has happened between us… not just recently… in the past as well…" She paused, allowing Lan a moment to speak.

"That's true… the two of us have been through a lot…"

"I'll always be there to help you out… you know that right…?" She suddenly shifted, but Lan didn't falter at all.

"Of course… Maylu, you've been the best friend I could've ever asked for…

"But is that all we are? Best friends…?"

Silence. Maylu had swallowed her anxiety and said it. The two of them just sat there and stared at each other for what seemed like hours, in a minute.

"Um…" Lan broke the silence. "I…" He replayed current events in his head, then his mind fell upon when he "indirectly" kissed her using their two navis fully synched. _I figured this was coming eventually… I kinda triggered it by doing that back in the war… but I sort of ignored it until now… now what do I do?_

"Yes…?" Maylu courageously tried to move his thoughts along.

"I…" Now his face turned red. "…"

"I can't take this anymore… you two are creating a void here…" The two of them jumped and turned towards the voice. "Seriously… I've never seen a more awkward situation in my life…"

"Chaud?" Lan frantically exclaimed as his fellow superior netbattler stood before them. Maylu just stared with her hands covering her face, failing to hide the fact that she was now blushing brighter than a cherry. "Ever heard of privacy?" Lan's expression turned to anger, with a livid tone in his voice.

"Whatever you two were stumbling on about, it'll have to wait… Lan, a visitor from Netopia is at SciLab with some critical information regarding the cause of the war two years back… … our presence has been requested, so I suggest that we get a move on…" Now it was Maylu's turn to be miffed. Although she didn't voice it, she was quite peeved that Chaud ruined a moment for them that took so much courage to bring up.

"I'm coming with you." She stated.

"I'd rather you didn't…" Chaud began. "This is official business and…we…" He stopped as he caught glimpse of the death glare he was receiving. "Whatever, just don't get in the way…" He turned to the door as Lan and Maylu gathered up their belongings and followed Chaud out of the pizza place. Halfway to the metro however, Lan realized something.

"Oh wait… shoot… Chaud, I don't have Megaman with me…" Without looking Chaud answered.

"I already sent Protoman to fetch them from Den Square… they will meet us at Scilab." Lan sighed, glancing at Maylu who was obviously frustrated. He placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping her from her angered trance.

"I'm sorry this got all messed up. I'll make it up to you, I promise." He flashed her a reassuring smile, which she returned as they drew near the station.

…

…

Upon entering SciLab, Lan could immediately tell that something was up. Professors and officials were moving to and fro at a quickened pace, some stopping to make quick exchanges before moving along. The three made their way through the commotion to the elevator, where Chaud entered a button code to gain access to the sixth floor, where the large assembly room was located. The door closed to the sight and sound of people running about, but opened to a quiet hallway six stories higher. A short walk and a right turn later, Lan found himself looking into the large assembly room he hadn't seen since the Nebula Grey Incident. The room was longer than it was wide, with a high ceiling, a rectangular table that extended through most of the room, and a podium at the front that was slightly elevated off the floor. Officials were gathered all around, but near the front were a few people Lan recognized.

_Dad… Professor Wily…Mr. Famous…DEX?_ He took another look to make sure, and sure enough Dex was there. His status as captain of the homeland guard during the war had earned him official status… something he failed to tell Lan about. _Huh… he never told me anything about that…_ Then his eyes fell on the last person near the front. It was a familiar face, one that he had seen a lot in the past two years. _Baryl!_ Lan was eager to get in and sit down, but the security officials stopped Maylu at the door. The slight commotion caused everyone in the room to turn towards the entrance.

"No worries gentlemen." Yuuichiro called to the guards. "She's qualified, let her through.

"Hmph." Maylu huffed as she strode past the security guards. Lan kept his eyes on Baryl as the three took their places at the table. Neither said or word nor gave anything more than a blank stare. The war was a thing of the past, but the two of them crossed weapons countless times during those two years. It was almost as if desire for being the true victor of their encounters still loomed between them.

"Protoman are you there?" Chaud picked up his Pet as everyone got situated.

"Yes, sir… I found Megaman but…" He hesitated.

"But what?"

"Well…" Protoman shifted the view screen to show both Megaman and Roll. "She insisted on coming along and… wouldn't take no for an answer…" Chaud sighed.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one…" He shifted the Pet to show Maylu.

"Lan and Maylu are both here so just have them transfer wirelessly through the Scilab connection.

"Yes sir." Protoman disappeared from the screen and soon Megaman and Roll were both back with their respective operators.

"Now then…" Yuuichiro began from the podium, instantly quieting everyone. "As you all know, the reason the war ended so abruptly was not due to one side overpowering the other… it was found that three shifty perpetrators started the entire conflict. Once discovered, the war was quickly put aside and we combined our efforts to track these navis… we succeeded in capturing one… deleting another, with some unfortunate temporary casualties…" Chaud glanced at Lan as Yuuichiro passed over that particular part of the explanation. However, Lan did not falter, or show discomfort, which Chaud was hoping to see in order to buffer his argument on Lan's mysterious return.

_I WILL figure this out…_

"…However, the last navi eluded us… Baryl decided to continue searching for this Navi with the Netopian forces so that our soldiers would be allowed to return to their homes… Now I will turn this over to Baryl himself…" Yuuichiro motioned to the Netopian general as the two exchanged places.

"Thank you Dr. Hikari… I hate to start on a low note, but the unfortunate fact stands that we were unable to capture the third terrorist… he is still at large and his ability to elude any and all of our most powerful scanners is uncanny… But we did have some information to work with… There is no known program on the market for abilities like his. The only way he could have the ability to copy both appearance and abilities is if he were programmed that way from scratch…" He turned to the side and stared towards the wall as he continued. "But we lacked any idea on who or what could've constructed of such a navi… so we turned to the place with the longest history of technology research… and it brought me to my old acquaintance… Professor Wily…"

The old professor gave a smile and a nod.

"Dr. Wily knew of a scientist who has long been missing, known for being very adept at programming unique navis… I speak of non other than, Professor Cossack… well known to us as the creator of Bass…" Mumbles and whispers began to spread throughout the table.

_Dr. Cossack huh… _Lan thought to himself._ That's a name from the past… I met him during the WWW's second attack and haven't seen him since…_

"After conducting some background research for me, Professor Wily managed to uncover some rather interesting information… it would seem that Bass is the final product of three other "test projects" performed by Professor Cossack… but the information didn't stop there… one of these navi's happens to be in use by a certain official netbattler…" He glanced out at the table. "I will now give the podium to Mr. Famous and his Navi, Punk." All eyes went to Mr. Famous, who as always was still wearing his sunglasses and white trench coat. He moved up to the podium and plugged his pet into the podium terminal.

"I myself do not have much to say… but Punk has quite a story for us…" in a few seconds, the screen behind the podium came to life and a bulky, irregularly proportioned net navi appeared on the screen.

"Howdy there Scilab." He greeted gruffly. "Now I never thought my past to be very significant… I always knew about my brothers, but no one ever asked so I never bothered to tell… but after hearing that one of them is likely the most wanted criminal on the planet, I'll be happy to tell ya all I know. It's true… I have three brothers. Bass is the one you all know, but I myself have never met him, nor have the others… We were all prototype designs, used to test abilities and find what could be combined to create a near flawless navi… Which obviously became Bass… My design was created to test the possibility of a highly malleable body type that could be molded to fit any combat situation…"

"The other two were both unique in their own right… their names were Enker and Ballade…" He paused as everyone soaked in the information. "I believe Enker is the navi you are looking for… You all know that Bass has the copy ability program… Enker was the prototype for this, only his copy ability is much more powerful… extending to appearance. He has a major flaw though... Something didn't line up right in his personality coding, because he is ambitious and selfish to the extreme. It wasn't too long after activation that he began complaining about confinement… or "being brushed aside as a mere idea" as he put it… Ballade and I tried to calm him down, but his own personal desires led him to break away from Scilab's hold… releasing the locks on the system that held us… Ballade tried to stop him forcefully… and it almost cost him his life…"

He paused again and sighed. "Ballade felt ashamed that he couldn't stop his brother… so he left as well before the lock could be re-established… I haven't seen either of them since…" He closed his eyes as if reminiscing, but quickly continued. "If you're wondering what Ballade has to do with all of this… it would be his abilities."

"For one thing… Ballade was probably the most unique of us all. He was programmed with human DNA as a base…" Lan perked up at this, but more so than him, Megaman could not believe what he was hearing. Another navi constructed from DNA like him? "Dr. Cossack was curious to see what effect a human will and soul would have on a navi's programming… He ended up abandoning the idea because the results were too good… Ballade turned out to be very prideful… of both himself and what he stood for… this carried over to when Enker struck him down. After the incident, Ballade vowed to "stop his brother's madness as well as extract revenge for dishonoring his own kin…"

"Now this is all relevant because, unfortunately, it is impossible for us to track Enker…" The listeners stirred and whispered amongst themselves. "But Ballade can." All eyes snapped back to Punk. "Ballade's other unique ability… is the power to feel the cyberworld around him in ways other navis could not… think of it as having amplified senses… If you give him the right information, he probably could've tracked down any specific navi across the entirety of the cyberworld… But as his brother… He could find Enker in a snap… which I'm sure he's already on. Whether or not the two have crossed paths since that day years ago, I couldn't tell ya… but there is a way to track down Ballade." More glances around the table. "That's all I got." To the council's surprise, Punk didn't go into detail, but Professor Wily took the podium as Mr. Famous unplugged Punk from the system.

"Now then…" the old scientist began. "With the information Punk has shared with you today in mind… I have already done some research of my own. It took a little bit of spit and shine, but I managed to get one of our generation two servers running…" A few gasps and slight chuckles of disbelief rose from the audience. The generation two servers were extremely old, in fact they were the first upgraded servers from the originals designed by Tadashi Hikari. Compared to the much smaller and compact generation six servers now these old servers were just a waste of space, but all the older servers were stored in the bottom floors of Scilab in case need of a back up or need of older data retrieval was necessary. "On this old server I managed to access Professor Cossack's research data, and made a rather interesting discovery. It would seem that Ballade's DNA-driven coding is easily distinguished from normal coding, and it gives off a unique energy reading…"

_I coulda told you that…_ Lan thought to himself as he eagerly awaited for Wily to get to the point.

"After a little bit of studying and tinkering… I found that this energy reading can be tracked… quite easily actually… I then set to work, and created a program that can lead a navi straight to him…" As he made this statement Chaud quickly cut him off.

"Then let's not waste any time… give me the program and Protoman will find him in an instant. Dr. Wily only chuckled.

"Oh Chaud Blaze… always jumping to conclusions…" Chaud did **not **like this one bit.

"I don't find anything about this situation amusing… Protoman is the most capable navi at searching and locating… if you have any better ideas I'd like to hear them." Chaud demanded with a harshly strict tone. Lan rested his elbow on the table, cradling his head with his hand, giving a large eye-roll at Chaud's never-changing demeanor.

"I do have a better idea actually… since you are eager to do what's most efficient…" Wily leaned over the podium as he spoke directly to Chaud. "It would be most efficient if we gave it to the only navi here that can actually use it!" He said with a victorious sneer on his face. Chaud did not look convinced.

"Making a device that only one navi can use doesn't seem very efficient…" He grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat.

"The unique energy readings of Ballade can only be tracked if the Navi carrying the device has similar experience with this type of energy output…" A loud thump sounded throughout the room as Lan's elbow slipped and his face hit the table. All eyes turned to him as he groaned and rubbed his forehead.

"I can see where this is going…" He said out loud. Professor Wily smiled.

"Clever, just like your father… The only navi here that can use the device… is Megaman…"

…

…

"Well that was interesting…" Lan said out loud as he turned down the hall with everyone else. He grabbed his Pet to address Megaman directly. "Looks like they're relying on us once again, eh buddy?" Lan smiled at Megaman.

"Seems that way… I was just so surprised…" The navi seemed lost in thought.

"About Ballade?" Lan easily pinpointed his brother's curiosity.

"Yeah… another navi constructed like me? It's thrilling to know, I've always felt like I'm so different from the rest of the cyber world… I'd be lying if I said I wasn't eager to meet him…"

Maylu watched the conversation between the two as her mind drifted back to the ruined moment at the Pizza place. _It was perfect… and now they are totally focused on this… god Chaud, you couldn't have waited five minutes?_

"Hey, earth to Maylu…" A hand rested on her opposite shoulder, she turned to see Dex walking beside her. "Did you hear me?" He questioned with his eyebrow raised over his eye-patch.

"No, sorry… I'm a little out of it." She admitted.

"I was asking if you'd be able to assist us on this." His question caught her off guard.

"Uh… really?" She didn't know what to say, she was so used to being left out of crucial plans like this.

"Yes… Megaman may be the only one able to use the locator… but let's be honest, Megaman's program focus is battle. His scanning abilities are only subpar… Roll on the other hand will be extremely useful in terms of wide range activity scanning… with her we'll have an easier job guiding Megaman."

"Oh… yes! I will definitely help!" She was suddenly giddy with excitement. Finally getting the recognition she always wanted.

"Glide, Iceman, and Guile will be joining us as well; we need a wide range of abilities for this to be successful."

"Ya got that right!" Lan shifted to Maylu's other side and slung his arm around her shoulders. Causing her to yelp quietly in surprise. "No more leaving people behind, we'll all do this one together!" She blushed at his close movements, but smiled at his statement.

_All in together… no leaving behind…_ This time everyone would see it through. No one would be left to worry or wonder. Their lives were thrown into chaos and their worlds were turned upside down by a conflict caused by a single criminal. Together they would bring this criminal to justice.

-To Be Continued-

* * *

A tad short, i know. but i didnt want anyone to think i had dissapeared so i got this out quick...

In all honesty this story is almost done... i suspect 4 to 6 more chapters at the most. But this story may not go in the direction you expect. (Im evil).

I will try to keep my schedule up and running, i have more opportunities to write this semester than i did last so if it goes any direction it will only get faster.

As usual i deeply thank all those who stick with me and deal with my horrible horrible update consistancy. You guys are the best!

Please Read and Review!

Flashgunner over and out.


	14. A Warrior's Pride

Whew i got his out pretty fast, and not a moment too soon because finals week is approaching quickly (fml) but hey i might take time off of studying once or twice to continue work.

Anyway, here is the fourteenth installment of Love Knows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(me talking)

enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

By: Flashgunner

Ch. 14: A Warrior's Pride

"Okay let's see…" Lan flipped through the options on his Pet screen. He and the rest of the group were in a terminal room a door down from his father's lab at Scilab, all pets hooked into the system and making their final checks before the search for Ballade commenced. It had been a day since the meeting, Sean, Tory, and Yai had been informed of the situation and Professor Wily had installed his special DNA scanner into Megaman. "Programs all loaded and functional, check. Chip folder 1, check. Chip folder 2, check. Chip folder 3… whoops!" Lan reached into his backpack and pulled out two stone cube chips. He inserted them into his pet and flipped around a few icons. "There we go, check." Lan had organized three chip memory folders for quick access. He didn't want the chip download time to hinder him in case of emergency. These folders allowed instant data transfer once the chip was inserted. The chip folders were separated into three categories: most powerful chips, program advance combinations, and defensive strategy.

"We're all set Lan, are you ready?" Tory called from across the room.

"Almost." He called back, waving his hand to Tory. "All folders set, check. Cable connections, check. DNA scanner not causing bugs, check. Megaman…" He switched his screen to view the cyber world and his eyes widened slightly. Megaman and Roll were in each other's arms off to the side from the others, their faces inches apart. Lan quickly switched back to his pet screen. "Uhhhh….check." He turned to the rest. "All set!" he called out.

"About time man, what were you doing? Writing a novel on your Pet?" Dex joked.

"Okay, okay, don't be a dick." Lan chuckled and turned to Chaud. "So what's the plan?" Chaud didn't even turn to him as he answered.

"Why are you asking me? You're the one with the scanner." Lan glared back at him.

"Oh excuse me…" He huffed.

"Okay stop you two…" Maylu rolled her eyes. "Why don't we ask the navis, they're the ones searching so…" She paused as she looked at her Pet, but quickly looked back to everyone with a bright blush on her face. "…Why don't we ask them… in a few seconds…" Lan nearly burst into laughter as she turned pink.

_You can do that later Megaman, come on._

In the cyberworld…

"For crying out loud, get a room!" Iceman yelled as Megaman and Roll split apart quickly, embarrassed.

"Oh um… sorry, I didn't know you guys were watching…" Megaman chuckled while rubbing the back of his head. Roll giggled, blushing, but smiling at the same time. A view screen appeared with Lan's face in the middle with Maylu and Yai peering over his shoulder.

"Okay everyone listen up. Obviously the duration of this search will range anywhere from an hour to a few days depending on where Ballade is... but if we all work together and pool our strengths we can cover a wider range of areas faster. However we can only do so much so where to go and where to start is entirely up to you." He fully explained before awaiting a response.

"Well I think that would be up to Megaman." Glide stepped forward. "After all he is the one with the DNA scanner."

"I thought it could only give a general idea of the location..." Gustman cut in.

"Well..." All eyes went to Megaman. "Professor Wily told me that it would guide me to him, but not necessarily tell me where he is..." Megaman sounded slightly confused about the very program installed within him.

"Then I guess we can't start until you activate it." Protoman stated flatly. "Once we get a general location we can have Roll perform a wide ranged scan.

"Sounds good, we're all ready when you guys are." Lan nodded.

"No time like the present then!" Roll interlocked her arm with Megaman's and dragged him towards the portal to the net. "Let's go!" She yelled out. Megaman chuckled, it was easy to tell Roll was excited; it had been a long time since all the navis as a group had worked together. Since the Gospel incident she was usually left behind when things got dangerous. The navis all followed the eager pink navi onto the net and they all stood near the link as Megaman stepped onto the cyber road.

In the real world Lan and the rest took their seats at their terminals and ran a final check over their Pet's as the Navis prepared to search.

"All set Megaman, let a rip." Lan spoke to his brother. Megaman closed his eyes and let the scanner activate. His senses suddenly all went dark. He couldn't feel anything around him; any and all sense of presence to his surroundings just seemed to fade away.

_This is… odd… is it broken…?_ He worried to himself, this just didn't seem right. Then suddenly he felt a slight tug. _What…?_ It felt like something was pulling at his chest. The invisible force caused him to take one step forward. _Wait… hold on…_ Megaman stood still and concentrated. He felt the tug again and this time gave it his complete undivided focus. He was abruptly yanked in one direction, the force was so strong that it pulled him off his feet and he smashed against the guard field on the edge of the cyber road. His eyes shot open and he caught the last syllable of his name being yelled by Roll as her hands fell on his shoulders.

"Are you okay?" She asked frantically. Megaman shook his head from side to side and blinked twice.

"Yeah, I'm alright… but that was beyond strange…" He explained as he rose to his feet.

"What was that all about?" Iceman trotted up to him with Guile close behind.

"You looked like a string puppet… what happened?" The customized normal navi questioned.

"It's hard to describe… all of my senses just shut off… and then I was pulled in a direction, when I concentrated the pull became almost violent." As he finished, Glide patted a fist into his palm.

"The scanner must've been pulling you towards Ballade!"

"Which way?" Protoman stepped in front of Glide. Megaman stood back where he started and glanced around.

"That way." He pointed into the distance, but everyone looked at Megaman as if he were crazy.

"Guts… are you sure that thing is working properly?" Gutsman questioned, while tiltling his head in confusion.

"What?" All the operators turned to Sean.

"What's wrong Sean?" Dex asked as he leaned over.

"The scilab network is the main hub for all the networks connected to it..." He began. "All the networks branch out from here, but they go in the direction opposite of where it's pulling him, even the undernet…"

"Wait… you don't mean…" Chaud couldn't believe what this indicated.

"Yes… There is only one network behind Scilab's… The abandoned Kotobuki network!" Sean remarked.

"The what?" Tory spoke up in confusion, but everyone else was surprised.

"The Kotobuki network was an experimental network connected to a former city." Chaud gave a brief explanation.

"It was a network that drew power from the city instead of scilab… the first network completely independent from a main hub. When I was being controlled by the WWW I used Gospel to take advantage of that network… there was a lack of security and numerous flawed safe guards due to it not being directly under Scilab's control… I easily connected it to Undernet transfer links and eventually destroyed the city with the amount of radiation my hacking servers caused…" Sean reluctantly recounted the incident he was responsible for. Tory looked beyond perplexed, but Lan stepped in.

"Basically it was a buggy experiment manipulated by Gospel to the point where it became unstable and the servers emitted high levels of radiation that tore the city apart… Because they were never sure if they fully cleared the city of the radiation, the network and the city itself have been off limits ever since. A "ghost" city I guess."

"Man where was I during all this, I never even heard about this…" Tory slumped back in his chair.

"You were abroad that year I think…" Yai got one step through her thoughts before Chaud cut her off.

"Enough history lessons…" Yai glared holes into the back of his head, but he took no notice. "Protoman, you know the way to the Kotobuki network right?"

"Affirmative sir." The navi replied.

"Good, we're lucky that he's that close by, take them to the network entrance and I'll work on receiving clearance to bypass the firewall." Chaud ordered before standing up from his chair and heading for the door. "Don't try anything until I get back, the Kotobuki firewall is almost as thick as the one guarding Scilab's mother server." He warned as he left.

"Follow me." Protoman beckoned the rest to follow and they started down the Scilab network and towards the Den area.

"It's been so long since I went to the Kotobuki network, is it in the same place?" Megaman asked as he caught up to Protoman.

"It's in the exact same place it was back then."

"Ah…" Megaman was about to fall back into the group satisfied, but then he caught himself and jogged back up to Protoman. "Whoa wait a second… the exact same place?"

"That **is** what I said was it not?" Protoman answered annoyingly.

"No, I mean… you know, the Den area connected to it via the old upper level cyber roads… weren't those taken down when they built the lower road way?" Megaman referred to how the express way for the net used to be built above the main Den network roads. About five years prior the upper roads were taken down and replace by roads that ran underneath instead.

"Yes." Protoman responded. Megaman sighed.

"And?"

"And what?"

"You're a riot Protoman, HOW DO WE GET UP THERE." Megaman growled at him.

"There's a maintenance line that still runs up there, how do you think they keep the firewall working?" Protoman explained in a condescending tone and walked on. Megaman just stopped and grunted at him in annoyance.

"Coulda just said that…" he huffed. Roll walked up behind him and squeezed his shoulder.

"Something wrong?" She asked, still in her giddy mood.

"His attitude." Megaman grumbled. Roll grabbed his wrist and tugged him along.

"Oh come on, you've known him for so long and it surprises you that he's a jerk?" Roll giggled.

"Well WHOA!" He almost fell forward as Roll yanked him along.

The group made it to the Den area and were led along by Protoman until they came upon an intersection near the den square entrance.

"This used to be where the ramp for the upper path was…" Megaman said out loud as all eyes went to Protoman. The swordsman knelt down and lifted a panel from the cyber road. As he manually flipped switches a terminal popped up from the floor.

"Guts… that's old school… no drawn image screen, built straight into the road…" Gutsman commented at the old tech that seemed to be out of place.

"This is the last pop up terminal left on the net… it's the only way to reactivate the older road." Protoman explained as he flipped over a keypad attached to the screen. After entering a few codes there was a whirring noise followed by a flickering light before them. Slowly, an old circuit line drew out in front of them and expanded into a ramp that led up. "Bingo." Protoman closed the terminal and let it fall back to the floor. A few of them were hesitant to step onto the old road, but once Protoman walked onto it without a second thought, it dispelled any doubt and they all followed suit. The old road was a bit bent and I little buggy from years of no fine tuning, but after a short bumpy walk they could see a large cyber gate in the distance.

"Hold on a second." Guile called from the back. "I think it would be wise to have Megaman double check the sensor before we move on."

"Hmm. Good idea." Protoman complied with little diliberation, shocking the rest. "Give it a go." Megaman nodded and closed his eyes again, activating the program. He felt the tug almost instantly and focused on it as he did before. The pull forced him straight forward, but this time it was much stronger than before. He slammed his foot down hard to brace himself, but the bottom of his feet still skidded a few inches forward. He opened his eyes and panted.

"He must be close! That was quite a reading I got!" He shouted as he regained his breath.

"To Kotobuki it is…" Protoman immediately began walking again, but stopped dead as a sudden tremor shook the road. All the navis were knocked to the ground. Iceman found out the hard way that there was no protective field on the road as he toppled over the side. Glide quickly reached out for him, but he forced himself too far and fell over the edge ah he grabbed iceman's hand. Luckily for the two of them, Gutsman had fallen close enough to grab hold of Glide's legs. The large navi used his natural strength to quickly hoist the two back onto the platform as the rest regained their footing.

"What the hell was that?" Guile yelled out as his white eyes turned blue and took status readings of the area around them.

"Uh… Protoman?" Roll pointed towards the firewall. "Is it just me or did something happen to the gate?" Protoman followed the extended finger of the navi to the gate and without a word both he and Megaman made a break for the firewall.

"Is everything okay?" Maylu chimed in as her face appeared on a screen beside Roll. Dex peeked over her shoulder.

"What was that all about? We lost power and the screens got all static for a few seconds!" He exclaimed.

"I think I found the reason…" They both turned towards Lan as their Navi's caught up to Megaman and Protoman. Chaud walked back into the terminal room talking the moment he was inside.

"Okay, I've got us clearance and the codes for the firewall, but can anyone tell me what that power failure was about?" He sat back down in his seat and reached for his pet.

"I don't think we're going to need codes or clearance anymore Chaud…" Lan said in a tone that Chaud was expecting to be joking, but once he registered seriousness in Lan's voice he quickly activate Protoman's view and his jaw dropped. The large and one of the most powerful net barriers ever erected, stood now before them extremely bent and skewed, energy nodes fizzling and popping as they flickered at the broken ends. "Oh my…" Was all Chaud could say in response.

"You don't think… Ballade broke through this… do you?" Guile questioned anyone who wasn't too busy staring at the impossible sight.

"What are we dealing with?" Iceman fell onto his rear. "This is too much… if he can do this what if he isn't friendly and decides to fight us?" Protoman held out a hand.

"Don't throw in the towel, there are many ways he could have broken through this… granted none of them help our chances in the case of a confrontation, but we have a mission… so we're going in." He finished as Megaman gasped, opening his eyes.

"Just did another scan… he's definitely in there…" He nodded to Protoman.

"Then let's go." Gutsman followed right behind Protoman and onto the link that led to Kotobuki. The rest followed, including a rather hesitant Iceman that transferred last.

Roll instantly grabbed Megaman's arm when they stepped down into the Kotobuki network. Everything was completely shut down. No blinking circuits, no data flow, the honeycomb shaped road way lights were disabled, and all together it wasn't very bright. The whole scene was quite spooky.

"This is… frightening…" Glide commented as Protoman walked ahead. "It's like the network is… dead…" He described it as he forced himself forward.

"If anybody can generate extra light I would appreciate it…" Protoman half requested, half ordered. Without a word two lights shifted out from flaps next to Guiles eyes and lit up the way like a flashlight.

"Allow me." He said as he walked onward with the rest in tow. They moved along the damaged net road as carefully as possible. None of them were willing to test if the old guard barriers were still operating.

"God, this place is in worse shape than the Undernet…" Megaman commented as they moved along.

"Protoman what's your status." Chaud chimed in over their communications.

"We are traversing the old Kotobuki roads, but so far no sign of activity…" He reported.

"Then allow us…" Said Maylu. "Roll, there is next to no interference due to the lack of activity in the old systems… your scanner should be able to cover anything that moves.

"Alright." She answered as the group stopped. Roll reached her hands out and the two antennae on her helmet straightened out. A visible data flow ran through them as she worked her abilities. "This is strange… I was curious before… and there really are none here…" She thought out loud.

"No what?" Asked Iceman.

"Viruses. There is absolutely no virus activity despite the state this place is in." She explained as she went about her scanning.

"Viruses are like animals." Guile began. "They only do what they need to survive. There is absolutely nothing to gain from a shutdown network…"

"Oh? I got something…" Roll perked up. "Up one level and towards the Kotobuki square…" She paused. "Two readings… one significantly larger than the other, but both rather strong." She finished.

"The strong one must be Ballade…" Gutsman inquired.

"And the other must be whatever he came here to do…" Glide added.

"Perfect… now which way is the square?" Guile asked from up front.

"Follow me, I remember." Megaman beckoned Guile and the two set out in front.

As they neared the square, some lights along the pathway just before it seemed to still be functioning. The square itself close by had dim emergency lighting still operational, allowing Guile to deactivate his headlights. As soon as they set foot in the square, Sean yelled out over their communications.

"Guys! Take cover! Someone's just ahead!" Without hesitation, the group dove towards some left behind boxes and old cyber pillars of the square's construction.

"Megaman, can you get a visual on what we're picking up?" Lan pressed his navi.

"One moment…" Megaman peered around the crate and out into the wide open common area of the square. There was a navi standing out in the center, one Megaman had never seen before. The navi was a color mix of gold, blue, and grey. The blue made up his feet arms and chest with gold shins and wrists. His arms and legs were grey, with his legs meeting an orange mid section. His head was blue, but he had a gold helmet on with three points on it, one on top and two out to each side. In his hand he held a golden spear. "Are you getting this Lan?"

"Clear as day Megaman… I think that's Ballade." Lan pointed out to the rest of his friends as the other navi's peeked out to get a look.

"The energy reading from him is massive!" Sean typed away on his terminal as he analyzed the navi in Guile's visual feed. "There's no doubt… that has to be..."

"ENKER!" All the navis ducked back behind their cover as an unexpected voice boomed through the desolate square. The blue and gold navi turned and faced the square's entrance as another navi zipped right by Megaman and company. The navi pulled back and aimed a punch right at blue and gold navi's face, but he effortlessly dodged it without taking a step. The new navi skidded to a halt and faced his elusive target.

_Did he say… Enker?_ Megaman thought as he examined this newcomer.

This navi was different; he was mostly purple but had gold components much like the other navi on his feet, waist, and large chrescent blade attached to his helmet. He had large spherical shoulders with blue circles on them, much like the contraptions on his hand that looked to be some sort of weapon. He glared at the Navi he had previously attacked. "I will kill you where you stand!" He yelled out.

"How many times have we been through this Ballade…?" The name caused all the navis and their operators to jump.

"I don't care how many times you strike me down… You will feel justice Enker!" Ballade yelled out as he charged towards his target.

"Enker!" Megaman exclaimed quietly.

"This is our lucky day!" Gutsman chortled. "We've already found Enker! Let's get him!"

"WAIT!" Protoman grabbed the large navi and pulled him back down. "Did you already forget about the firewall? Don't just jump in there you'll be slaughtered!"

"Then what?" Gutsman pouted.

"We wait for an opportunity…" Megaman explained as he peeked around the edge to watch a battle unfold.

"HAA!" Ballade thrust his arms out to the sides and the two openings on his wrist began to glow until two spheres with four smaller spheres attached to them expanded from the light. He turned his wrists right side up and the spheres fell into his hand. The instant he gripped them he wound up and flung them right at Enker. With a quick movement of only his wrist, Enker moved his staff to deflect both of them away. The spheres went flying in different directions and got stuck to the floor of the square.

"Huh? Were those just distractions?" Gutsman pondered while leaning out over Megaman. There was an intense flash of light and the two spheres exploded violently. The magnitude of the blast was incredibly large, shaking the entire square. Gutsman fell on top of Megaman and the rest stumbled to the floor.

"Holy shit!" Dex yelled as he stood up from his chair and nearly pressed his face against the screen.

"This in bad…" Sean turned to face all of them. "The energy readings on those bombs of his are beyond the range of my instruments! A single one of those blasts could delete all of our navis!"

"WHAT! We need to get them out of there!" Yai exclaimed, while pulling up the controls to manually disconnect Glide.

"But…" Chaud didn't know where to go with this. This was the perfect opportunity to complete either of their missions, but was the risk margin worth it?

"I… I can't recall Iceman!" Tory shouted.

"Roll is stuck too!" Maylu repeated.

"It must be the network!" Lan concluded as he failed his third attempt to recall Megaman. "The old technology must be disconnected from the main net!"

The navi's didn't dare to move as more explosions rocked the square.

"Megaman! You guys need to get out of there! Can you get to the exit?" Lan's screen popped up next to the navi as he finally managed to push Gutsman off of him.

"Yeah! But…" Another explosion flared between him and the entry link. "It's too heated! There's no way we'd make it without being hit!"

"Dammit!" Lan slammed his hand down on the table.

"We have no choice! They're already packed into a corner so they're already in the safest spot possible!" Sean yelled out. "We'll have to make do with what we have!"

"I got it!" Dex yelled. "Gutsman! Gather everyone up and pack them into the corner as tightly as possible!"

"Roger!" Gutsman yelled. The rest of the operators didn't know what Dex had planned, but they quickly ordered their navis to comply. Gutsman moved every navi into the corner and turned so he was the only one exposed.

"Chaud! I need Protoman's shield!" Chaud nodded and gave the order. Protoman called forth his seldom used shield and handed it to Gutsman. "Yai! Do you have your life aura 3 chip on you!"

"Yes!" She answered as she dug into her pile of chips, pulling out a specific one. "Here!" She tossed it over to Dex. He caught it and slammed it directly into his pet's chip slot.

"Sean, I need a holy panel!"

"You got it!" Sean removed the chip from his pile and tossed it to Dex. He inserted the chip and let it download.

"Guard up Gutsman!" Dex yelled to his partner.

"GUTS!" Gutsman grunted as the aura chip and holy panel chip activated and he held the shield out in front. It wasn't a moment too soon. A stray bomb landed about ten feet away and exploded with furious intensity. Gutsman was buffeted by the blast, but the sturdy navi held his ground thanks to Megaman, Protoman, and Glide supporting him from behind, with Roll, Guile, and Iceman spotting them to triple Gutsman's stability.

"Quick thinking Dex!" Lan commented flashing his old friend a thumbs up.

"Let's just hope they can hold that…" Said Chaud. "If they don't our navis are history…"

Ballade and Enker still stood apart. Ballade was catching his breath as he glared at his brother.

"You know the Ballade Cracker is useless against me…" Enker calmly remarked as he stuck his staff into the floor.

"I've only begun to fight!" Ballade clashed his fists together and charged forward. He began throwing punches at Enker, all dodged swiftly and with little effort. Eventually Enker caught one of Ballade's fists.

"I really don't feel like dealing with you right now, how about you just walk off for once so I don't have to waste my energy on you."

"You will pay Enker! I won't stop until…

"…I've extracted my revenge, I KNOW, you've said that every single time you've faced me do you know how repetitive you're getting?" Enker finished the sentence for him.

"But you're getting careless!" Ballade sneered as he jumped back and pulled his fist away. One of his bombs had been at Enker's feet for the duration of its timer. A large explosion engulfed Enker as Ballade slid to a halt, shielding himself with his arms from his own blast. A look of satisfaction moved across his face as the explosion faded, but was quickly replaced with disbelief when Enker was still standing in the exact same spot with his spear lifted and glowing bright red.

"Well this is a surprise, you actually forced me to guard myself… quite an improvement if just a small one…" Enker held his spear straight up over his head. "But honestly, you are really starting to get on my nerves brother… I let you off easy time and time again, but you keep persisting…"

"I will persist until justice has been served! You have dishonored our entire family and you shall die for it!" Ballade barked back, not giving an inch.

"Justice… what do you even know about justice? Is that the just the petty name you use for it? All you're doing is following an ambition just like I do…"

"I AM NOT LIKE YOU!" Ballade cut him off. Enker just glared.

"I've had enough of you… I think it's time to put you down for good… let's see far your pride takes you when sundered in two." Enker spun around and stuck his spear straight outward. The red aura circling him condensed and flowed straight into the staff. It dispersed from the edges of the spear in a wide arc of pure energy and fired as a crescent blade towards Ballade. he only had time to take one step back as he registered the attack approaching before the blade cut right through his waist.

From off to the side the other navis were trying to grasp what had happened, all they saw was Enker thrust forward and the next instant Ballade was in two pieces. His legs de-rezzed instantly and he was left on the ground with the data painfully fizzling bellow his stomach. Megaman's instincts kicked in and he almost pushed right past Gutsman, but Protoman caught his arm.

"What are you doing?" Megaman snapped at him.

"What do **YOU** doing?" Protoman shot right back. "We have absolutely no chance!" Megaman growled, but he knew Protoman was right, but if he didn't do anything Ballade would surely be killed.

"Chaud! Call off Protoman! We have to help!" Lan stood up from his seat and barked across the room.

"Lan! Think of your damn navi! He won't last an instant in there!" Lan gritted his teeth and returned his gaze to the view screen. He knew the risk, but he wanted to help. It was frustrating and painful to know they were useless. It was a feeling coursing through both Megaman and Lan.

"RRRRGH! AUGHH!" Ballade laid face first on the ground, grunting and shouting in pain. Enker strode up to him. And shot a condescending look down to his brother.

"Even like this you still struggle… why?" Enker huffed. "You are such a lost cause…" He turned around, ready to leave his brother for dead, but he felt a tug at his ankle. He glanced behind him to see Ballade gripping his foot.

"Who said… you could leave?" Ballade choked out while glaring up Enker.

"You'd best let go of me brother… or do you want more pain?"

"Any pain you give… means nothing to me… I will follow you… to kingdom come… if that's what it takes… to teach you honor…!" Enker stood silently for a moment, but only scoffed.

"I've had enough." He positioned his spear over Ballade's face. "I was going to let you die slowly on your own… but now I think I'd rather get the idea right through your head."

"NOOO!" Enker perked up as he caught another voice. Off to the side Megaman and Lan had inadvertently reached full Synchro due to their parallel thoughts to the situation. None of the navi's could hold him back as he knocked Gutsman aside and charged headlong at Enker, the synched white aura streaming in their path. The only thing on both their minds right now was to get Enker away from Ballade. They felt as though it was their duty to protect one who shared the same traits as Megaman. "RAAAAH!" Megaman pulled back and threw a wild punch at Enker's face. Enker merely caught the punch in a very casual display of his dominant power and held Megaman there.

"Well it's about time you came out of hiding; you were making a lot of noise over there." He snidely remarked as he calmly held the shaking fist in his palm. "May I ask why you decided to attack me?" Before Megaman could answer Protoman, Gutsman, and Roll, also encased in a synch auras Dropped from above all with attacks ready. Enker gripped Megaman's hand and whipped him around into Roll, knocking her out of the air before swiftly moving back to avoid Protoman's sword and Gutsman's fist. He stepped lightly until he had put a comfortable distance between him and the other navis. Megaman and Roll picked themselves off the ground and joined Gutsman's and Protoman's side, ready for an attack. By now Glide, Iceman, and Guile had emerged as well, placing themselves in front of Ballade, knowing full well that they were nothing against Enker without the ability to use Full Synchro. "What's this…? My brother has some friends?"

"Who…?" Ballade's vision was going blurry as he tried to make out what was going on around him.

"Hmph… if you really want to save this sorry excuse for a navi, be my guest… I have better things to do." He turned away from them.

"HOLD IT!" Megaman barked, causing Enker to stop but he kept his back turned. "You have caused this world more pain than could ever be repaid… don't think we'll just let you walk out of here!" Enker shook his head and continued towards an old broken link.

"You sound just like him. Why don't you just run along and leave me be. I'm busy." Enker stopped over the tattered link and spread his palm over it. Despite the calls from his fellow navis, Megaman charged at Enker again, but right as he got to him, the old link came to life and Enker disappeared into a bright light. Megaman tripped over the edge of the link and fell flat on the floor. He quickly propped himself up and frantically looked over the old tech.

"How did he…?" He questioned as Protoman walked up to him, no longer in full synchro.

"Must have the ability to manipulate net devices… I can have Chaud pull up old records to find where this leads…" Megaman acknowledged his partner, but quickly remembered Ballade. He sprinted from the spot to the brutally injured navi and dropped full Synchro. Guile and Glide were supporting him while Roll worked with recovery chips being sent by Maylu to stabilize his condition.

"How is he still hanging in there?" Iceman wondered as he grimaced at the state the navi was in.

"No idea… it must be his sense of pride, or the human DNA within him…"

_That's exactly what it is Glide…_ Megaman thought. _I know the feeling…_

"Maylu is running low on recovery chips! Tell your operators to give her theirs so I can slow down the de-rezzing!" Roll ordered.

"Will do Roll, get him stable and we can take him back to Scilab." Guile explained as the rest went to contact their operators.

"Damn we let him get away…" Lan cursed as he released from his synch and stood up from his chair. He turned around, but was immediately grabbed by the collar of his shirt by Chaud and pushed against the wall.

"What the **HELL** is wrong with you?" He yelled in Lan's face. The rest only glanced at them for a moment before carrying on with handing Maylu all their recovery chips.

"Hey! What's the deal with you? We saved him didn't we?" Lan forced Chaud's hands off of him and glared eye to eye with the official.

"You jumped headlong at an enemy that could destroy all of our navis with little effort! Not to mention you did it in Full Synchro! With all the unnecessary risks you take I'm beginning to think you're suicidal!" Maylu flinched as she heard this. The topic of Lan dying was still a shaky subject for her. She did her best to never think negatively after how well things turned out with the end of the war.

"So you'd rather I didn't save him and have the case go cold? You're the one who's always talking about accomplishing your objective. How about you start practicing what you preach, grow some balls, and actually take a risk for once? Reasonable or not?" Lan retorted. Chaud looked like he was ready to punch Lan right between the eyes, but Yai stepped between them.

"Oh for HEAVENS sake! This is NOT the time for this! You two need to drop the testosterone rush and help us with Ballade!" Instead of staying between them, she was content that she had been convincing and went back to her terminal. Lan and Chaud cast one last glare at each other before swallowing their anger with each other and returning to their desks.

There were more important things to do. They didn't need Ballade for tracking anymore if they could find the old link records, but Enker had proven to be a very dangerous foe. Ballade was much stronger if not more powerful than both Megaman and Protoman combined. They would need his help regardless.

-To Be Continued-

* * *

Words cannot describe how happy i am to be using the megaman killers in this story. I've always had a soft spot for Ballade, there was only so much they could do with the old game boy technology in the gb megaman 4 but Ballade was always such an awsome character to me despite the simplicity. (spoiler for megaman 4 on gb alert): The way he fights you no once, but twice, and then in the end sees the error in his ways and sacrifices himself to let you escape at the end was always an awsome moment for me.

Lets see, in all honesty i think i only have three chapters left maybe three and an epilogue. kinda hard to imagine that but it will be great when i'm done because i can fully focus on what i believe to be my two best works. "That Incredible Feeling" my golden sun story moving into it's second half. And when that is done i'm going out with a bang with my MASSIVE Starfox story, Follow Your heart.

Damn i'm gonna be a senior in college soon... how did it all go by so quickly?

As usual i am extremely grateful for the support of my readers and reviewers. knowing that people take the time to read something you work on and at times even give suggestions and comments is one of the most satisfying feelings an author can have. I thank you all deeply.

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!


	15. Ending the Tension

Well hello everyone! It's been a long time and i apologize greatly for that. I really had no control over it either. The thing is, this chapter was near completion way back in august, but i'm one of 5 people that were selected to be part of the senior writing project for fiction at my college. Almost all of my time and devotion in terms of writing have been put into a fantasy novel that has a high chance of being published by the end of the year should it be good. I'm going to have a hard time writing for a while, because i've really had maybe one or two half hour time slots to work on my fanfiction per week. I my be able to find more time here or there, but i can't make any promises, for now updates may be pretty far between.

Now i would also like to adress something within this story. It wasn't until recently that i noticed a huge oops in the plot. Colonel sacrifices himself at the end of battle network 6 yet i have him alive and active in the story. It totally slipped my mind an i apologize for it, but he's in the story so it's just going to stay that way XD.

Anyway, here is the fifteenth installment of Love Knows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_thinking_

**Emphasis**

LOUD

(me talking)

Enjoy!

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

By: Flashgunner

Ch. 15: Ending the Tension

"Quickly! Transfer all power from anywhere that we can do without to the power locks!" Yuuichiro ordered, pointing towards a few assistants at the control panels of the lab.

"Professor, if we transfer any more power it could overload the room's circuit grid!"

"It's that or we lose hold and he runs rampant!" Yuuichiro barked while staring at his terminal screen. Alarm claxons sounded throughout the facility and red warning lights littered every control panel. The view screen showed Ballade, currently being held in place for repair purposes, but once he regained consciousness he did not like his situation one bit. To top it all off he was slowly showing Sci Lab just how powerful he was.

"Dr. Hikari! What's going on?" Chaud rushed through the doors, Pet cord already drawn.

"We just finished reconstructing Ballade's frame when he awoke without warning… he's trying to break free!" Yuuichiro explained without taking his eyes off the monitor. "He's already almost broken the locks holding him down… once he's through those I don't think the cyber repair hub can hold him back from escaping onto our network!"

"I won't let that happen!" Chaud quickly reached for the net port, but Dr. Hikari stopped him.

"Chaud, be reasonable, this navi is more powerful than anything we've ever worked with! Protoman won't stand a chance!" Chaud quickly ripped free and plugged his Pet into the system.

"If I'm quick enough I might be able to stabilize his bindings before he even gets loose!" Instead of arguing with the headstrong official, Yuuichiro went back to his terminal and continued to do everything he could to hold Ballade in place.

Protoman touched down in the small cyberspace and immediately could see the cause of the cacophony. The room was glowing red on and off with multiple energy pathways sparking and fizzling. They were straining to keep together the rings holding Ballade. These rings were usually meant for restraining a navi from movement during repairs and upgrades to minimize data mistakes, but with all other defensive precautions defeated, it was the only thing keeping Ballade from running free.

"Protoman, I'm plugging the auxiliary cord into the security panel of this room, I'll send you coding to reinforce the bindings and bring them up to firewall caliber." Chaud explained as Protoman approached Ballade.

"RRRAAAHHH" Ballade yelled out as he tried to pull the binds apart. The entire room flickered and the floor below them began to show cracks. The binding rings fizzled and popped, sparks flying from them in every direction. Even with the mighty attempt, Ballade was still attached to the binds, but his efforts were beginning to show wear on the cyber space itself.

"Sir Chaud, please hurry, he's starting to bring the whole room down!" Protoman called back as he drew his sword in case of emergency. After a brief moment Chaud returned.

"Codes coming your way Protoman." A small data flow swept over Protoman's visor.

"Codes downloaded and ready for use." Said Protoman as he drew a panel with his finger and began inputting commands.

"You can't hold me here." Ballade spat at Protoman. "I don't know who you people think you are, but I won't let anybody stand in my way!"

"If you'd stop and look at what's going on around you, maybe you'd figure out that we're trying to help you." Protoman calmly replied despite the collapsing room around him.

"I don't need help!" Ballade pulled at his binding again, causing the entire room to jostle and flicker. "You don't know me!" He yelled out as he continued to thrash.

_Such intense emotion and willpower… he's definitely just like Megaman…_ Protoman thought as he quickened his pace with the code inputs.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Ballade pulled his arms back and put all of his power into a forward thrust. Protoman was knocked off his feet as the floor below him buckled and Ballade's restraints began to tear. Protoman looked up in shock as Ballades shoulders began to spark and crack.

_He's… sacrificing his arms to break out?_

"RAAAAAHHH!" Ballade's restraints burst and he flew to the ground, barely stopping himself from landing face first. He tried to get up quickly, but winced in pain and remained grounded. His arms were painfully damaged due to his final efforts to break free. Protoman was on his feet in a blink and had already re-drawn his sword.

"Sir Chaud! What are your orders?"

"Stand down." A different voice came through the communications. Protoman looked up, confused. Suddenly another Navi touched down in the system, an abnormally shaped navi with spikes and chords all over his body.

"Punk?" Protoman addressed the navi, catching Ballade's ear. The half-functional navi forced his head up to see the newcomer.

"Wh…what? Brother…?" He didn't know what to make of the situation.

"Ballade… I don't even know how long it's been…" Punk stepped past Protoman, who was still locked in his battle stance. "But one thing's for sure… you haven't changed a bit…"

"Punk what is the meaning of this…? Where am I? Why am I being held captive?" Ballade rapidly questioned as he strained to keep himself up. Punk sighed as the disrupted data flow of the room began to level out and settle down.

"You're so obsessed with chasing down Enker that you don't even recognize your birthplace?" Ballades eyes went wide. "It may look a little different, but even you should be able to notice."

"This is… SciLab? Why was I brought here?"

"Because we need your help… You may not be aware, but Enker has caused a great deal of suffering to the world in recent years… we want to bring him to justice… but we cannot locate him nor do we have the power to face him…"

"Punk I don't care if **you** want to bring him down… I don't want help, nor do I care if you and whoever you're working with wants him taken down. This is a personal matter and that's the way it is going to stay!" Punk was ready to argue, but another navi touched down.

"Maybe I can convince you." Punk and Protoman both turned to see Megaman walking towards Ballade.

"It's about time you showed up; you have the slowest reaction time to alarms ever." Chaud joked as he glanced away from the view screen to Lan who had just plugged Megaman into the system.

"It would help if they blared out where the emergency was; I ran in circles trying to figure it out!" He chuckled as he turned his attention to Megaman. Ballade kept his eyes fixed on the blue navi. Something was strange about him, but he couldn't place it. What was bothering him the most was that it felt familiar. Megaman halted about a foot from Ballade, and withheld speech due to the Navi's quizzical expression. He allowed Ballade to figure it out for himself.

"What…? What is this…?" A smile crept onto Megaman's face as Ballade came to realization. "You… are like me?" Megaman nodded.

"Yes, I am a navi constructed through use of human DNA. The strength of your feelings towards revenge makes perfect sense to me." He turned away. "While I can't say I would go after someone for dishonoring me, I can say that if any of my friends were to come to harm, I'd go after them with the same vigor and determination that you display…" He knelt down so he was at eye level. "Enker's actions drove the world into chaos and turned many lives upside down… Many of my friends… and my operator will never be the same…" He reached out a hand. "Please help us… we're not asking for anything in return… Just like how we have similar backgrounds, we have similar goals." Ballade stared at Megaman's outstretched hand. He remained silent with his eyes locked on the welcoming gesture.

"You saw what he can do… what makes you think you stand a chance at all?" Ballade's eyes narrowed. Megaman smiled.

"Never know till I try."

"Heh… good… answer…" Ballade's arms buckled and he rolled onto his back. Megaman quickly moved over to him in worry. "Don't worry… I'm fine… Go ahead and repair me… we'll talk after that." No sooner did he finish speaking did his head slump to the side. Punk quickly ran forward to help Megaman put Ballade back into the restraints. Once he was secure Megaman turned and flashed a thumbs-up to Protoman, who only crossed his arms and grunted in response.

"Nicely done Megaman." Lan commented as he recalled his Navi. Yuuichiro sighed in relief as he ran a hand through his hair.

"That was close… he almost completely destroyed the repair node cyberspace… And you said Enker tore him in half with little effort? I know the files described him as powerful… but that's far beyond what I imagined."

"You and me both Dad." Lan stuffed his hands in his pockets. "All of our navis were nearly deleted just by watching the conflict." Yuuichiro was clearly distraught.

"I'm not so sure I want you to go after him… honestly…" He quietly voiced his worry. Chaud answered before Lan could.

"I appreciate your concern for us Dr. Hikari, but if we don't take this chance that criminal will run wild on the net. After causing a war I believe it is necessary that we take any means necessary.

"I'm aware of that Chaud… I just…" He glanced at Lan. "After all the hardships of the war I'm just hesitant to send people off into danger…" He was cut off as Lan rapped his fist upon his chest.

"No worries Dad, It's just another catastrophe to take down head on!" He chanted enthusiastically. Chaud rolled his eyes, but kept them on Lan, narrowing his gaze as he continued to converse with his father.

"You're gusto is refreshing Lan, but you can't blame me for worrying… especially after you barely lived through the war…" Chaud's eyes widened as Yuuichiro brought up the topic. He turned and left the father and son to converse to wait outside.

…

"Catch you later Dad! Let me know when Ballade's ready to go!" Lan waved to his father as he left the lab. He took two steps and was suddenly grabbed by the shirt and swung around. His ambusher slammed him against the wall a few feet from the door. When he finished wincing Lan opened his eyes and was met by Chaud's angered glare. "Chaud? What the hell are you doing?"

"You've dodged me up until now… but I am not letting you get off easy this time…" He tightened his grip on Lan's collar. "How the hell did you survive!" Lan raised an eyebrow.

"Survive what?" Chaud pulled back and slammed Lan against the wall.

"You know DAMN well what I'm talking about!" People passing by glanced towards the commotion, murmuring to each other, wondering what all the fuss was about. Lan grabbed Chaud's arms and ripped them free from his collar, pushing Chaud away as soon as he had control.

"Why the hell do you even care? I survived the explosion and made my way back to the net!"

"Bullshit you did!" Chaud pointed at him, face scrunched up in anger. "You expect me to believe you took the brunt of an explosion the size of a small nuclear bomb, fell into reaches of the undernet no navi has ever returned from, and then just walked out? Better yet it took you two goddamn months? There's more than you're telling us Hikari! How am I even supposed to believe it's even you? My own feelings aside, I have no reason to believe you not to be some sort of imposter!" Both went dead silent. Lan glared hard at Chaud, not believing what he was hearing. A larger amount of people had halted in the halls.

"I don't know what the hell has gotten into you Chaud… There were certain… circumstances that allowed me to return… but you needn't get all bent out of shape about it. Nothing that occurred is a threat or a point of interest that anyone needs to know. I've already told you more than I will tell anyone else, so be happy with it and **leave me alone.**" He harshly emphasized those last three words before pushing past him and walking through the quizzical crowd. Chaud watched him disappear into the sea of people and grunted in annoyance before turning swiftly in the other direction and trudging down the hall in frustration.

…

…

A week had gone by since they successfully persuaded Ballade to join their cause, and the repairs were going smoothly. Lan hadn't received word from his father about anything, so for the time being, life went on. Lan was especially glad that all the activity concerning Enker was taking place now because it was winter break, and he didn't want to deal with school while worrying about plans of action.

Everyone was a bit nervous about what would happen in the near future, but it wasn't enough to deter Dex from trying to lighten the mood. Being winter break, New year's eventually rolled around, and Dex wasn't about to let a chance for them all to relax and have fun go by.

"Lan? You have an e-mail." Megaman called to his operator as he continued to monitor the security activity of Lan's PC.

"Mm hm." Lan replied automatically, too distracted by the netbattling magazine he had his nose stuffed in to actually hear what megaman said.

"Well do you want to read it?" Megaman called out; scrunching his brow at the lack of attention he was being given.

"Hey look! Half off chip bags this week at the Electopia battle store!" Lan called out as he read the advertisement.

"LAN!"

"What?" Lan looked up at the screen and received Megaman's famous glare that he gave him whenever his behavior warranted it. "Why the grumpiness?" Lan questioned and was met with a sigh.

"You have an e-mail." Megaman repeated.

"Oh, cool, open it for me." He quickly ordered before sticking his face back into the magazine and tilting his chair back slightly. Megaman bit his lip and grumbled to himself as he pulled up a separate panel. The e-mail was from Dex, but before he began reading it he decided to play a little trick on Lan.

"Oh it's from Maylu! Dear Lan, why were you outside in the snow last night with no clothes on? Are you sleepwalking?" Lan fell back to the floor with his chair, dropping the magazine and tumbling to a halt against his bed.

"WHAT?" He stared at the screen but Megaman just stared back at him smiling.

"Now that I have your attention, let me open it and read it." He chuckled as he turned back to the window.

"Not cool bro… I thought you were serious…" Lan complained as he reset his chair and sat down to listen.

"It's from Dex… What's up? I'm assuming Lan's out of bed by now unless his brain clock was set back another hour…" Lan glanced at the clock as Megaman read, it said 2 pm.

_Wise guy…_ Lan rolled his eyes as Megaman continued.

"… Hey I know we have an urgent mission on the horizon, but I hope you haven't forgotten its new year's eve. We need to have some fun tonight ya know? Let's all relax at my place tonight till all hours and spend the night. We could all use some time to relax and enjoy ourselves. Come on by at seven-ish, Lan I expect you there at eight." Megaman turned to Lan, who had his eyebrows up in agreement.

"Sounds like a good idea… man it's been forever since we've hung out at anywhere besides Yai's… I wonder who he invited…"

"Looks like he sent this out as a mass email to everyone…" Lan cocked his head to the side.

"So he made fun of me specifically in an e-mail that everyone received… some things never change." He laughed and turned around in his swivel chair. "Well, it's not that far off so I might as well get some things together… You mind running a few crosschecks on the chip folders? I know Dex might want to Net battle."

"Will do." Megaman obeyed as Lan turned and went to his closet. As he shifted through his clothes he came across his new white headband. He stared at it for a moment and recalled when Maylu tried to return his old one.

…

"Keep it? Are you sure?" Maylu looked between Lan and the headband dangling in her hand. Lan reached forward and closed her hand around it. She blushed as their hands connected and he gave her a cheerful smile.

"There was a reason I left it with you. I know I didn't leave you with much confidence when I left… but really I was being honest with you about my chances of returning. I wanted you to have it so you'd never be without something nearby to remind you of our friendship."

"I see…" She smiled as she looked down at their hands. He patted her fist and released it. "I'll cherish it, I promise… and that's a promise I will never break…"

…

"Friendship…" Lan said out loud unknowingly.

"What was that Lan?" Megaman called from the PC. Lan jumped and quickly clutched the headband to his body so Megaman wouldn't see it.

"Oh, um, nothing… just talking to myself…" He held his breath for Megaman's response.

"If you say so…" The navi shrugged and went back to work. Lan breathed a sigh of relief and held the white headband out in front of him again, not realizing that Megaman had indeed seen what he was staring at. _Is it really just friendship…?_

…

…

…_Will we ever be more?_ Maylu was sitting in her large bean bag chair, staring at Lan's old blue headband. She sighed and clutched it tightly while leaning her head back against the bag.

"Mayluuuu…" A slurred voice called from her PC. She looked up in confusion and got up from the bag, moving towards her computer.

"Roll?" She cocked her head to the side and stared at her navi on the screen. The pink navi seemed to be fighting sleep and she swayed from side to side.

"You have a…a…aaaaaaaaahn e-mail…" She yawned as she forced out the words.

"Are you feeling alright Roll?" Her operator questioned with concern. She grabbed her Pet and pulled up the diagnostic screen.

"Of course I'm ffffffffffinnnne…" she slurred as she nearly fell over. Maylu looked over Roll's status and a warning light popped up that read "Foreign component attached" She stared quizzically at the words for a moment but then a thought popped into her head.

"Roll, where's mouse?"

"Bwuh…? Mouse…?" She slowly turned around. "I dunnoooo…" Maylu sighed as she saw the tiny mettaur attached to her back, helmet down.

"Roll he's on your back and he's sleeping. How are you still operating?"

"Huuuuuh?" She lazily reached an arm over her shoulder and felt the hard hat. "ohhh there he is… maybe my system ha…aaaaaaas built a slight immunity to him…" She poked the helmet and the met woke up, it yawned and forgot it was on Roll's back, taking one step and falling off to the floor. As soon as he detached Roll felt a jolt travel through her. "YOW! Whoa wide awake!" Maylu couldn't help but laugh as Roll shook her head back and forth and lightly slapped her face. She looked around and saw Mouse upside-down on his helmet, staring back up at her. "Hey you…" She bent down and picked him up. "Next time warn me before you decide to nap on my back." She said to him in a babying voice and pouty lips. The met responded with his signature "Meep!" and she set him down, allowing him to scurry off.

"So… E-mail." Maylu briefly reminded Roll. Without a word the navi opened the e-mail and Maylu read it. It was the exact same one Lan received. She giggled at the remarks focused towards Lan and nodded in satisfaction as she read it. "A new year's party… and spending the night somewhere besides Yai's… this sounds like fun!" She closed the e-mail and looked at the clock. It read six. Maylu's eyes went wide. "ROLL! When did this e-mail come in!" Roll perked up and checked the database.

"Um…" She turned around with a forced smile on her face. "About four hours ago…"

"AUGH! I need to get ready!" Maylu flew from her chair, pulling off her shirt as she grabbed a towel and threw her door open, making a beeline for the bathroom. Roll sighed and placed her hand lightly over her face.

"Maylu is going to kill me for this one…" Her thoughts were interrupted by an incoming navi alert. She saw the first three characters of the navi code and accepted it instantly. Megaman teleported in and glanced around before being tackled to the floor.

"Whoa there, did somebody miss me?" He chuckled as Roll rested her chin on his chest.

"Maybe a little…" She fluttered her eyelashes at him before leaning forward and planting a small kiss on his lips. The two removed themselves from the floor and Megaman explained his visit.

"So i take it you two are coming to Dex's I don't see Maylu in the room so she must be packing her things." Roll blushed.

"Haha… actually I had a little encounter with Mouse and I only just got the email to her, she's in the shower right now, frantically getting ready." Megaman burst out laughing.

"I can only imagine… She's so uptight about punctuality…"

"Maybe she could teach Lan a thing or two…" The two laughed but stopped quickly as their operators were both brought up.

"That reminds me…"

"I've been meaning to ask you…" They spoke simultaneously. Megaman held a finger to his mouth and gave her a hand motion to go first. "I don't understand something about the two of them…" She began. "I mean, I've only seen it from Maylu's side… she clearly loves him, but she never says a word to him about it…"

"Funny you should say that, every time I bring it up Lan either dodges it or reacts in a way that suggests he will say something but never does. I thought the two of us coming together would help them as well, but they haven't shown any change…" Megaman scratched his chin in thought.

"There has to be something holding them back… what do you think it could be? Why would they deny feelings like this? Especially the way she was during the war you'd think she'd jump into his arms…" Roll copied Megaman's gesture.

"There has to be something… maybe… OH!" Megaman hopped in realization. Roll snapped from her thoughts and nearly got in his face awaiting his answer. "I remember! It was a couple years ago… he reminded me about a he made a promise he made to her!" He pounded his fist into his palm. "I was with him when it happened, but I had forgotten… It was when they were young; Maylu was being picked on for having red hair… Lan jumped in and got beat up, but he pretty much saved her from the bullies… he said he made a promise to her, to always be her best friend and to always be there for her…" Roll was hit with realization.

"You don't think…" She looked at him. "…that they are holding back in fear of a relationship going bad?"

"How do you mean?" Megaman was interested in Roll's thought process.

"Think about it… he promised to always be her best friend. If a relationship would go bad, that might affect that promise, how could he still be that best friend with the pain of a break up were involved?" Her words swirled around Megaman's head as he put it all together.

"That makes sense… but… honestly? Do they really believe that would happen after all they've been through and how connected they are? They've been best friends for their entire lives and more often than not they've interacted in ways that could be considered romantic…" Megaman thought his mind was going to overload, it didn't make any sense.

"I'm stumped… it seems ridiculous, but it's holding them back… which means there's only one thing we can do." A smile crept onto her face. Megaman was almost afraid to ask.

"Which is?" He asked anyway.

"If they won't… then they need a little push." She clasped her hands together and swooned. "I've always wanted to play cupid! This is so exciting!" Megaman sighed.

"Oh boy… what are we doing?" He thought out loud. Maylu suddenly burst into the room wrapped in a towel, sleek strands of hair down to her shoulders and in front of her face. Luckily for the navi's she went straight for the closet. Roll grabbed Megaman by the shoulders and faced him towards the exit portal.

"We'll talk privately at the party; now quickly go before she sees you!" She planted a kiss on his cheek and pushed him into the portal. He was gone before he could respond. Roll casually turned to the screen as Maylu's towel flew out of the closet door. Roll patiently waited for what came next. Maylu emerged in only her undergarments with six different outfits in her hands and over her shoulders. Roll's eyes widened briefly and she thanked the stars that she had gotten Megaman out quickly. Maylu threw the clothes onto her bean bag and grabbed a hairbrush and hairspray from her dresser.

"Maylu slow down you have plenty of time." Roll called out in attempt to settle her operator.

"Hardly!" She yelled back as she brushed her hair into place and sprayed it to make it stay. Once her hair complied with her attempts to get it the right way, she quickly grabbed the first outfit pair in her pile. She slid on the bright orange blouse and white skirt with lack leggings.

"That looks good…" Roll quickly complimented, trying to push her operator along to make up for the previous blunder. Maylu shook her head and quickly removed the pair, grabbing the next. A tight white t-shirt with tight blue jeans. "Why not that one?" Roll tried again, but Maylu discarded this as well. _What's up with her?_ She wondered as she watched her operator repeat this process four more times. Maylu gazed upon herself, wearing a strapped black blouse that showed off her curves and bust quite well, but she sighed and shook her head.

_No… he wouldn't like this…_ She removed the blouse. _He's not like that… knowing Lan… he'd just want me to be…_ She perked up. _Myself!_ She smiled and strolled back into her closet. She brought out a pink skirt, black thigh high socks, and a tight turquoise long sleeve shirt. After putting them on, she looked at herself contently, it was almost like the old outfit she wore when they were younger, minus the extra vest. _He'll like this._ She turned and walked out of her room with a sway in her step towards the bathroom to apply makeup.

_Well something has her in a good mood; I guess I'll find out soon enough._ Roll pondered as she turned to prepare the pet for departure.

…

…

Lan casually strolled down the street towards Dex's house, through a light flurry of snowfall. He had followed his teacher's embarrassing advice and wore a black winter coat with a blue scarf. As he walked his path took him by the park, where many little kids were running to and fro, throwing snowballs at each other, making snow angels, or building snow forts. He smiled at the sight and slowed his pace to watch as the kids moved around with seemingly endless energy.

Lan sighed as the sight made him reminisce about when he was younger, and he and Maylu would play in the snow with the other kids. Specifically he remembered a time when he and Maylu, both the age of seven, were locked in an intense snowball fight. They laughed and giggled as the poorly aimed projectiles flew past them. It wasn't until far into their mischief that Lan accidentally placed a snowball right into Maylu's face, knocking her down. When he saw it, he just stopped and stared, knowing he had done something wrong. Maylu sat up, sniffling, and began to cry. However, Lan was always a quick thinker, the moment she started crying, he gathered up as much snow as he could carry into one big snowball, carried it over to Maylu, and placed it next to her. She pause momentarily, confused towards his intentions. Lan reared his head back and slammed his face into the snowball so hard that he almost got stuck in it, when he finally managed to pull his face out, his entire head was covered with snow, and he gave Maylu a goofy smile. She burst out laughing, falling over onto her back and holding her stomach.

"Haha…" Lan chuckled to himself as he recalled the event. He hated seeing Maylu upset, it never mattered how old they were, and from when he was a kid all the way up to now he absolutely felt crushed if she was ever upset. Her smile always brightened his day. He approached the street corner, lost in his own thoughts, and somebody approached from across the street, in a similar state. "OOF!" The two collided, but because the other was in a hurry, all they're momentum carried them into a snow bank beside the sidewalk.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" the person tried to get off him. Lan picked up the voice instantly and grinned. He clasped his arm around the person's waist and pulled them down into the snow with him.

"Hey, you don't run into someone like that without sitting down and getting to know them." The person struggled at first, but then she laughed and pushed him away.

"Very funny Lan…" Maylu rolled off the snow and brushed herself off. She was wearing a fluffy white winter coat, a matching white scarf, and a white winter hat with a small pompom dangling off the top. He chuckled and sat back in the snow like it was an easy chair, crossing his ankle to his knee.

"Aw leaving already?" He joked. She shot him a sly look.

"I'm trying to keep my quota of making it to events before you as always." Right as she finished she turned and trotted down her path.

"Oh are you now?" Lan jumped from his seat and jogged after her. When she saw him in pursuit she quickened her pace and giggled. The two raced each other all the way to Dex's.

…

…

When they reached Dex's house two blocks down, they were greeted at the door by Yai. She glanced back and forth at them with an eyebrow raised as the two laughed and panted from their little competition.

"Well, as usual the only reason Maylu could be late is because of Lan." She smirked at Maylu. "Unless you two were doing something…" Both of them glared at her, and she instantly laughed. "You two are too easy! Come on in, no need to stay out in the cold." She giggled to herself as the two removed their coats and hung them up on the hooks by the door. As they moved to the living room, Lan took notice of Maylu's outfit. He recognized it instantly; it was just like her favorite outfit from when they were younger, minus the vest of course.

_Wonder if she planned that…_ He thought as he looked down on his clothes. All he did was throw on a T-shirt and jeans. He shrugged and was surprised when he only saw Dex and Yai. "Who else is coming?" He asked as Dex took a seat in the easy chair perpendicular to the couch.

"This is it actually." Lan looked surprised. "Well I don't even have to tell you what Chaud said…" Dex glanced at Yai who only gave a "hmph" "But Sean and Tory are both had family plans. So it's just us four." Yai plopped down at the end of the couch near Dex.

"Well it isn't a total loss, now it's just like old times." She bounced a little in her seat.

"We all look a little bigger now." Maylu commented with slight sullen tone as she took the seat next to Yai.

"When has that ever stopped us?" Lan jumped into the remaining spot on the couch. His impact caused Maylu and Yai to bounce up and nearly crash into each other. "It's not like we don't know how to have fun!" As usual it was Lan that kept them upbeat and happy. Something the War had caused them to realize.

"Well since we're all here, let's get started! We have three movies and the house to ourselves, so let's get some popcorn and bring on the new year!" Said Dex as he reached for his Pet and plugged it into the table terminal in front of them. The others all plugged their pets in as well so their navi's could watch with them.

…

…

The navi's touched down, and after general greetings they took places on a cyber-couch configuration similar to their operators. After the order was given by Dex, Gutsman drew a control panel for the television, and started the first movie. As the opening ran, Megaman and Roll whispered amongst themselves.

"So what's this plan of yours?" Megaman began. Roll blushed and grinned shyly.

"Well, I'm actually not sure…"

"Oh this is going to be fun…" Megaman tilted his head back. Roll quickly tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, hey, c'mon I just need an opportunity. Stay alert; I'll let you know when we'll act." She rubbed her palms together. "Oh this is so perfect…"

_A moment ago you said you had no idea…_ Megaman smiled and chuckled to himself. He had no idea what was going to happen, but Roll was having fun with it, and that was enough for him.

…

…

The night progressed smoothly. The movies weren't really paid attention to; in fact Dex had purposely chosen bad movies so the four could make fun of them. They enjoyed a night of jokes, stories, and laughter as the movies played in the background.

"Are you sure you can take them on? I don't know if I can hold on that long, I might have to pull out if you don't hurry." A poorly dressed character in the movie spoke the horrible line.

"That's what she said."

"That's what she…dammit!" Dex swore as Lan beat him to it. Both of them earned eye-rolls from the girls as they laughed at the crude, but timeless joke.

"Ah man, you're too slow Dex." Lan stretched his arms out and placed his hands behind his head.

"Yeah yeah…" Dex grumbled as he grabbed the large popcorn bowl on the floor. He reached into it, but discovered an empty dish. "The popcorn's empty…" He stated, followed by a brief silence. Maylu, Yai, and Dex all reached up and put their index finger on their nose. Lan completely missed the call, and realized it when he turned to them.

"Aw man…" He whined.

"You're too slow Lan." Dex mocked him and chuckled as he handed the oversized bowl to Lan. He sighed and forced himself up to retrieve more popcorn without a word. Maylu glanced towards him as he left, watching him until he was out of the room.

…

…

In the cyberworld, Roll saw the whole thing and nudged Megaman in the side.

"Huh?" He turned to her and she leaned in close, concealing her whispers as a romantic gesture.

"Lan got up to get popcorn… I saw Maylu eyeing him until he was gone; she clearly has him on her mind. If I know her, she'll take any reason to follow him…" She paused for a second, and then smirked in a way that slightly worried Megaman.

"Do I want to know?" Megaman questioned as she grabbed him by the arm.

"We're going to go… "distract" Lan for a moment… She'll bite if he takes too long to come back." She stood up, forcing him up as well. Gutsman and Glide both turned to them, perplexed looks upon their faces. "We'll be right back." She winked at them and led Megaman off to the main circuit line of the house.

"Guts… I didn't need to know that…" Gutsman scratched his head and sighed.

"Roll that was a tad excessive…" Megaman chuckled as Roll dragged him along.

"Had to make it realistic or else they'd be suspicious." She moved in front and faced him with a seductive look in her eyes. "And if this all works out, the love will **definitely **be in the air." She batted her eyelashes at him. He smirked and cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm on the job." He answered instantly and the two merged with the main circuit, heading towards the kitchen.

…

…

Lan grumbled as he found the popcorn bags hidden in the back corner of the snack cabinet in Dex's kitchen. As he followed the instructions to make a new bowl, Megaman and Roll snuck into the cyberspace for the microwave. They were greeted by a program.

"Hello there navi's how may I help you?" He eagerly addressed them. Roll nudged Megaman.

"Oh um…" He stuttered. "We were just wondering…" He walked past the program so its attention would be fixed on him. "Which function is used to make…" Roll curled her antennae forward and touched them to the back of the program.

Lan had just finished putting the popcorn in the microwave, and was about to start it.

"Oh for the perfect bowl of soup you must AAAAAIIEEEEEEE" The program shrieked as Roll shocked it with a sudden data flow. In the real world, the microwave began to beep and make weird noises.

"What the…?" Lan looked over it and saw the light flashing on and off inside. "This thing would break while I'm trying to hurry…" He reached to open the microwave, but right as he hit the door release button the door flew open and the popcorn kernels exploded from the bag and flew everywhere around the kitchen. "AHHH!" Lan yelled as he fell back in surprise.

Back in the living room Dex leaned his head back over the couch and looked towards the door to the kitchen.

"What the hell is he doing?" He chuckled. "Is the popcorn beating him up or someth…"

"I'll go see what he's doing." Maylu interrupted him and was up and out the door quickly. Dex turned to Yai who only smiled and shrugged in response.

Maylu entered the kitchen calling his name. "Lan… are you okay in… Lan what happened?" She turned from wonder to worry as she saw him sitting up off the floor with popcorn kernels all over the floor.

"The microwave seems to have an opinion of me…" He got up and looked at the mess. "Shit, now I have to clean this up…" Maylu walked over to the microwave. Roll immediately disengaged from the program and grabbed Megaman by the arm.

"She's here! We're out!" She said as Megaman stumbled over his words before disappearing in the portal with her. The program shook itself off and blinked.

"Whoa I wonder what that was about." A small view screen appeared with Maylu's face within it. "How may I assist you?" It asked her.

"Is everything okay in there?" She questioned with Lan in the background slipping on kernels.

"I had a slight problem a moment ago, but I just regained control I apologize for the slight malfunction." The program bowed and went back to work.

"Huh... that was odd…" Maylu let it be and turned to Lan who was fumbling with a dust pan and broom. "Here let me help you…" She walked over and took the broom from him. Working together they managed to clean up the mess rather quickly, but a few stubborn kernels had rolled beneath the kitchen table and other hard to reach places.

"Got a few under the table." Lan pointed and got on his hands and knees to pick them up, Maylu placed the broom against the wall and followed suit to help him. At one point she reached right as he moved forward and poked him right in the ribs. "Ow!" He moved up and hit his head on the table. "OW!" He grabbed his head and bent down. Maylu quickly apologized and moved closer to him to help him.

"Are you okay?" She asked as Lan muttered a few curses under his breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" He gave her a goofy smile as he rubbed the back of his head. With all the stray kernels in hand they proceeded to emerge from beneath the table, but on the way up Lan hit his head again and fell face first to the floor. This time Maylu burst out laughing. And rolled to her side on the floor.

"Table two, Lan Zero!" She said in between laughs. Lan rolled onto his back as well.

"Just my night huh…" The two, looked to each other, both lying on their backs on Dex's kitchen floor. Not the most normal scenario, but two found they didn't want to look away. Lan found himself looking her up and down, his mind telling him he shouldn't be, but he wanted to regardless. Maylu found herself blushing, staring straight at Lan. She wondered how different her life would be if she never knew Lan. It was just so perfect that the two of them had never known life without the other. But both had an aching thought prying at their minds. They wanted each other, but was it the best choice? Were they destined to be like brother and sister forever? Or can they be more? Can they shed the fear of losing what they have and believe the bond they already share can only be made stronger? Lan was the first so snap out of it.

"Maylu…"

"HEY WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING? IT'S A KITCHEN NOT A HOTEL ROOM!" Dex's voice surged through the wall and the two of them nearly flew three feet in the air. Lan was up on his feet instantly, Maylu only sat up. Lan couldn't help but feel slightly angry. He and Maylu just couldn't get any privacy when personal things came up.

"Hey Dex! Tell your stomach to shut up!" Lan spat back before sighing and offering his hand to Maylu. She looked up into his eyes as she took his hand and he could see in her expression that she was just as disappointed as he. "Sorry…" Was all he said as he restarted the popcorn process. She didn't respond, the blush still clear across her face. She left the kitchen without another word.

…

…

Roll was holding herself back from flipping out, which was successful with a little help from Megaman.

"Easy Roll…" He whispered to her, glancing at Gutsman and Glyde who were oblivious to her rushing emotions. She crossed her arms and pouted.

"It was so perfect! He ruined everything!" She complained as Megaman rubbed her arms to keep her calm.

"I know, but it was close, we can always try again later." He reassured her as she settled back down into her seat.

Lan eventually returned with the popcorn, and after watching another hour of the movie, ten to midnight rolled around. Gutsman switched the TV to a celebration being held in downtown Electopia. The four counted down with the people gathered in the city as a glass ball dropped and signaled the beginning of the New Year. After laughing and joking, enjoying the company and times they all shared together, they switched back to the movie, and let it run before declaring bedtime. Lan took notice that Maylu seemed a little off her usual self, and he couldn't blame her. He felt as though the two had something to tell one another, but the opportunity just never presented itself.

Unlike Yai's house Dex's was not accommodated for multiple guests, so different arrangements had to be made. Dex used his own bed, and Yai used a camping cot that Dex found in the back of his closet. She demanded privacy and Dex just pointed her to his parent bedroom where she set up the cot, but closed the door behind her quickly. None of them knew if she actually used the cot, or just used his parent's bed.

Lan was the only one who thought to bring a sleeping bag, so Maylu took the couch, and the only space big enough for Lan (His preference, not how much space he actually needed) was behind the couch. So he set up there before changing into the simple black t-shirt and shorts he brought along. Maylu had gone off to the bathroom to change into a small white blouse and short shorts, but by the time she was back, Lan had already turned out the light. A small glow came from behind the couch from Lan's Pet. Maylu was still a little antsy about the scene in the kitchen and as much as she wanted to talk to him, her anxiety was overpowering her confidence. She tiptoed into the room and remained absolutely silent until she lay down on the couch. The small creaks from the couch alerted Lan that she was there. He glanced back at his Pet screen, Megaman was absent, still in the table terminal with the rest of the navi's so there really wasn't much he could do besides check e-mail. He powered off the Pet and placed it beside him, staring at the couch.

On the other side, Maylu laid her head on the pillow, but found it hard to clear her mind to sleep. Interruptions were the bane of her efforts to dispel the untamed tension that lingered between her and Lan. She had the perfect opportunity now, but she hesitated. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing escaped it. She quickly shut it to avoid any squeaks to escape and get him to speak first. He was always the one to sense her discomfort and start up the conversation. She wanted to do it herself this time. If she was going to go through with this at all she had to be strong enough to bring it up. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly and gently.

"Lan…?" She spoke quietly over the couch. Lan's eyes opened in surprise. He had already decided to let it be for the night between them, but just hearing his name from her made him contemplate otherwise. "Lan… are you awake?" She called again. He stretched out his arms and yawned.

"Yep…" He responded simply.

"Did I wake you up?" She asked, but cursed herself for doing so because she wasn't getting to the point.

"Nope…" He replied again. She didn't say anything else for a few moments. Lan turned towards the bed. "Everything okay?" He asked, curious as to why she began. Maylu swallowed her fear.

"No Lan… there are things bothering me…" She forced out. Lan, interested, shifted himself so he could pay attention.

"What would those things be?" He had a feeling he already knew, but he didn't want to answer for her. She sounded anxious, so he wanted her to overcome it.

"Things about us." Lan knew it, but he let her continue. "I…I don't think we're being honest to ourselves and each other…" Lan kept listening. "I have to say it this, I've been holding it in too long…" She paused for an uncomfortably long time.

"Maylu, you can always talk to me." He assured her.

"I…" she hesitated again. "I don't think… we can just be friends…" She nearly choked out. She immediately berated herself silently because there was really no way she could have made her intentions any vaguer. Luckily Lan picked up on her point.

"Why do you say that?" He asked, signaling to her that he understood for the most part. She swallowed and continued.

"Lan, we promised each other to always be the best of friends… but I don't think I can go on seeing you as just that…" She heard the rustling of his sleeping bag. Her eyes widened slightly as he came around to the front of the couch and sat down on the floor near where her head lay.

"You know this is kind of ironic." He began as he leaned his head back against the couch cushion. "I feel like we always have this on our mind at the same time, but we never get the chance to talk about it… this is what you wanted to say to me while at the pizza parlor the other day isn't it?" He smiled at her. Maylu was delighted that he had picked up her vibes so easily.

"Yes… it is…"

"Then I'm all ears." He turned around to face her. "No more interruptions." He rested his arms and chin on the cushion. She took a deep breath and continued.

"Lan… I… like you… as a friend…" She paused every few words. "But… that only goes so far… I… just always want to be with you; always want to be around you. I always feel safe with you around; always feel like I'm invincible around you… It was just so natural before the war, but when you left that feeling just disappeared. I still had everyone else here with me, but without you I just felt so alone…" She reached forward and clutched his arm. "I…need you…" Those words touched Lan. He was always so worried about throwing a wrench into their friendship should he try to become romantically involved with her, but now that he heard the words come straight from her mouth, the glass wall of doubt casting an opaque view on their future together, shattered and cleared the view. Lan moved his hands to hers and clasped them together within his grip.

"Maylu you have no idea how good that made me feel." He reached forward and stroked the stray strands of red hair from her face. "I've had the idea of being in a relationship with you for a long time now… but there was this barrier of uncertainty always blocking the way. You just punched right through it." Maylu thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest as an intense blush covered her face. "Is there room on this couch for two?" She grinned from ear to ear.

"Not really…" Maylu moved over anyway. "But we can try." She lifted the sheet and Lan slipped in next to her. As soon as he settled in he rolled off and crashed to the floor.

"Dammit…" He cursed, rubbing the back of his head.

"You okay?" Maylu asked between a soft giggle. Lan didn't respond. She rolled over to the edge to look down at him. "Lan?" His arms reached up and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her down to the floor on top of him. She yelped in surprise, but was silenced as Lan kissed her. Any playful resistance she was ready to use halted as he slid his hand behind her head. She closed her eyes and propped herself above him with her forearms. The memory of them promising to always be friends was shoved into the back of their minds, because this was what they wanted, this felt right. Lan applied slight pressure to her back and head, pushing all of his feeling into the romantic moment, Maylu doing the same, running her hands through his hair.

When the two parted, Maylu rolled off of Lan and lay beside him.

"Now **that**, was satisfying." Lan sighed with a smile stuck to his face.

"We're idiots, you know that?" Maylu stared at the ceiling. "We really are."

"Haha…" Lan chuckled. "I know right… you'd think with all the time we've had together this would've happened sooner." Maylu reached over and snuggled herself into his body.

"At least it finally did." She nestled her head into his neck.

"Want to get back on the couch?" He asked.

"Honestly I'm fine right here." She sighed and squeezed his arm. Lan yawned and nodded.

"Good cause I am too…"

Despite how uncomfortable the carpeted floor was, the two couldn't feel more comfortable at the moment. With broken ice and warm hearts, the two drifted to sleep in each other's close proximity.

-To be continued-

* * *

And there you go, they finally broke the tension. Ah i love romance, AHEM anyway this story is nearing completion, i have two chapters and a short epilogue left and i can slap the complete label on it! It's exciting because this is the second piece i've ever finished (not counting the zelda one, i only keep it around to remind myself how far i've come) it's a giddy feeling really.

The next chapter, as mentioned above, may be a little while, because, continuing the tradition, i will update my golden sun story first before coming back to this.

As i always say (and WILL always say) i greatly appreciate everyone who reads and/or reviews my work. You guys are all awsome.

Please read and Review!

Flashgunner over and out!


	16. Living a Lie

Long time no see everyone. I know, i know, there is no excuse for how long i've been taking lately. Normally i wouldn't take so long, but i'm nearing graduation and college work is taking top priority.

Anyway, here is the sixteenth installment of Love Knows No Limit.

story

"talking"

_thinking_

**Emphasis**

* * *

Love Knows No Limit

By: Flashgunner

Ch. 16: Living a Lie

"All finished." Ballade's eyes slowly opened as he heard the voice. "How do you feel Ballade?" The navi looked back and forth at the restraints.

"Probably better if you let me out of these confound things." He got his wish as the wrist and leg locks disengaged and he touched down to the floor. He examined himself and moved his arms around a bit as Megaman and Protoman teleported in.

"I hate to rush you, but everything is all set. Just let us know when you're ready and we can go after Enker." Megaman explained.

"I'm ready now. The longer we linger here, the more time that bastard has to do as he pleases." Ballade punched his fists together the clash sent a small shockwave through the air that knocked the two of them back a step.

"Then come with us, we'll take you to meet the rest." Protoman beckoned as he turned back to the portal. Megaman was about to protest that Ballade rest a little more, but he was out the portal with Protoman before he could form a single word.

_Great… another one…_ He sighed, in his head putting Protoman and Ballade in a similar personality group.

Megaman followed their footsteps into the operator terminal cyber space where all the navis were waiting. Introductions soon followed, but Ballade only gave each of them quick glances and nods. He kept most of his attention on Megaman and Roll, who were naturally beside each other.

"He doesn't seem like the most social navi…" Glide whispered to Iceman as Megaman finished the introductions with Guile.

"He scares me a little…" Iceman commented. "What if he turns on us?"

"I have no reason to." They both jumped as Ballade somehow overheard him. "I only have one target. The only way I could harm you is if you get in my way." He finished without once turning to face them.

"Guts! He's my kind of navi! We think alike!" Gutsman gruffly commented and went to pat Ballade on the back. Ballade took one step away, making Gutsman miss and stumble.

"No, we don't." His attention was still fixed on Megaman and Roll, ignoring the rest. He walked towards them, leaving the others speechless.

"Talk about a downer…" Gutsman scratched the back of his head.

"Megaman." Ballade called as he closed in. He gave a quick glance to Roll. "May I speak to you in private?" The two navis glanced at each other momentarily and Megaman agreed.

"Sure." The two walked a good distance away to stay out of earshot of the rest.

"As a fellow navi with a soul I can read your actions and feelings. These navi's they mean a lot to you, especially the girl, correct?" Megaman was surprised by the question.

"Of course… why do you ask?" He cocked his head to the side.

"I must be honest with you… besides your friend… Protoman was it? Besides him I feel the rest are walking to their own deaths. I know what it means to cherish something as do you. Are you willing to put all of them at risk?" Ballade's question lingered in Megaman's head, but only for a moment, the answer was to such a question was always easily answered to him.

"Ballade, I have confidence in every one of them. You don't know them like I do. When it comes to physical abilities, there are a large number of navis I could point you towards over my friends. What makes them different and useful is their special abilities." He pointed to each one of them. "Gutsman may be big and lumbering, but he is one sturdy navi… with the help of a few chips he was able to withstand the blast of your bombs when they were only a few yards away, saving all of us. Glide has a special back attachment that allows him flight, and he has access to a lot of rare chip data that has gotten me out of multiple binds in the past. Iceman is very quick witted, I've seen him come up with strategies to take down opponents in ways I never would have considered. Guile's operator is an ex-hacker computer genius, giving him access to codes and forced glitches that can bend the environment to his advantage. And finally, Roll is **the** best navigator I have ever known, she has more determination than anyone, and honestly there isn't a navi I trust more than her." He finished and gave Ballade a smile. "Give them a chance Ballade; they may surprise you."

"Have it your way." Ballade shrugged, turning his back. "Are all preparations ready I'd like to leave now if possible.

"One moment… Lan?" He called over audio.

"Way ahead of you bro, we're all set."

"Good." Ballade started towards the portal. "Everyone follow me."

"Finally, we can get this guy for good!" Lan stretched out and leaned back.

"You seem rather lax Lan…" Sean commented as he cracked his neck. "Then again you've always been I don't know why I said that…" Yai leaned back in her seat and whispered something to Sean. "What…?" She whispered again. "OH!" Lan shifted an eyebrow at them.

"What?" he asked. Yai smirked.

"Oh nothing, you only blew a fuse in Dex's head in the morning… I don't know how you two fell asleep in that position, I mean come on Lan your hand was in her shir-"

"OKAY YAI WE'RE DONE WITH THIS TOPIC!" Maylu yelled as she blushed madly, grabbed Yai in a headlock, and covered her mouth. Lan just faced his terminal screen and scratched the back of his head, ignoring the stares he was getting from Sean and Tory.

Back in the cyber world everyone hurried behind Ballade as he entered the net. The road to the Kotobuki area was traveled in silence. Ballade said he was on their side, but the rest couldn't help but get the vibe that he would turn on them if it would mean he gained ground on his target. They all made their way into the broken down Koto area and followed Ballade all the way to the deactivated portal Enker somehow went through. Ballade knelt down and put his hand to it. Everyone watched as data trails glided across his eyes.

"Hm… this might be a problem…" He finally spoke up.

"What is it?" Megaman knelt down beside him. He was the only navi that seemed comfortable around Ballade.

"I can sense him on the other side of this portal… and I know how to temporarily activate it, it's an ability Dr. Cossack discontinued before he created Punk. The issue here is that we'll lose contact with your operators." Guile cautiously approached.

"Why is that?" He questioned.

"It leads to an old cyberspace for a Pet manufacturing plant in Kotobuki… the signal in the Koto net is weak enough, if we travel into the factory system the signal will be cut off."

"Sean is there any way to strengthen the transmission signals?" Guile addressed his operator.

"If it were of recent technology yes, but the Kotobuki system is so old that our possibilities are all incompatible…"

"What does that mean?" Lan questioned as he pondered options. Sean sighed and turned to address everyone.

"The only way to stay in contact… is to be in the location of the cyberspace."

"But that would mean…" Dex stood up. Sean nodded to him.

"Yes. We have to go to Kotobuki." They all murmured amongst themselves, but Chaud was already on a communication line with Yuuichiro.

"Dr. Hikari we need seven radiation dissipaters… I'll explain when you bring them just please hurry…"

"Make that eight Dr. Hikari." They all turned to see Mr. Famous enter with his hand on the communication line with Chaud.

"Mr. Famous!" Lan explained as the famed battle trainer entered.

"We'd rather not risk more people than we already are." Chaud huffed. Famous just shook his head at him.

"I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing this for Punk. I've already sent him to your navi's location. I'll reconnect with him in Kotobuki with the rest of you."

"But…"

"We'll take all the help we can get." Maylu cut off Chaud.

"C'mon, everyone, let's go meet my dad halfway!" Lan had already unplugged his pet and was out the door. Everyone followed quickly, Chaud grumbling to himself all the way.

After getting their radiation inhibitors and a good lecture on being careful from Yuuichiro, the group was heading for the old subway line to Kotobuki. Further back from the rest, Maylu walked beside Lan and grabbed his hand. Lan blinked in surprise and glanced at her.

"You okay?" he asked as the seaside breeze gently blew past them.

"I'm worried…" She answered quietly and squeezed his hand.

"Aw c'mon Maylu, this isn't the first time we've handled a dangerous situation…"

"I hate that you say that so naturally…"

"Maylu?" She turned to him, her face suggesting she was angry.

"I used to think that way… that we'd always figure things out and everyone will always be okay… Then the war happened, how can I be calm after something like that?"

"But… I came back…" He was trying to find the words.

"After everyone thought you were dead!" A tear ran down her cheek and she gripped his hand harder. "I lived for two months without you! I experienced how awful life would be without you! I lose everything if I lose you Lan…" Lan's eyes went wide. They had finally gotten closer with each other, but this was intense. He looked down and smiled weakly.

"Do I… really mean that much to you?"

"Yes…" Maylu said between a sniffle. "More than anything…" She turned and hugged him tightly. "I know what we're doing… I know that it's dangerous… but please, **please,** promise me that you won't leave me." Lan hugged her back, remembering what he said to her on the subway platform before leaving for the war.

_I would promise to return… but this is war… anything can happen… so I'd rather not make another promise if it had to balance on such a thing line… I've already gone against one promise… I would hate to with another._

Lan closed his eyes in shame, he can't believe he aver said such a thing to her.

"Maylu, I promise to never leave your side." He gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned as they continued to the subway.

The subway station was dark and smelled of mildew and rust. Once Chaud found a breaker switch, the platform sprang to life and the lights flickered on. The station was completely empty save for a single subway car covered with cobwebs.

"Wow it's still here." It was the shuttle car they had used to reach Kotobuki during the gospel incident.

"Looks like it's still operational… let's go." Chaud was already in the car, fiddling with the controls. The rest gathered on, but Chaud couldn't get it to start.

"One moment…" Sean stepped up and flipped one switch. The car sprang to life, all the old screens and displays lighting up. Chaud gave Sean a look, who was already casually walking away from the console. Yai was trying her hardest not to laugh.

"Okay guys." Chaud began as he eased the train's throttle forward. "Activate your radiation shields now. We'll be in Kotobuki shortly…" The car hissed forward slowly, but barely picked up any speed. "Or it might be a while…" The car made a snapping noise and suddenly shot down the old tunnel, knocking all of them off their feet.

"Well that was nice…" Tory commented as Dex rolled off of him. They all got to their feet and pressed the three buttons on their belts. The devices vibrated and a small egg of green light surrounded each one of them. With all the preparations complete, they began discussing the plans upon arrival. None of them had contact with their navis at the moment, but once they reached the Kotobuki station, they could hopefully plug into the old systems and get instructions from Ballade.

"Okay, everyone focus, we're nearing the station." Chaud spoke up from the controls. They all looked out the front and could see faint traces of light down the tunnel. Chaud reached for the throttle and turned it all the way back, but the train kept moving.

"Um, Chaud? The brakes?" Dex suggested as Chaud frantically looked over the controls.

"Yeah those would be nice, the station's closing in!" Tory added.

"There's… no brakes?" Chaud cried out. Mr. Famous gasped.

"Oh no…" He caught everyone's attention. "This is bad…"

"About what? C'mon super genius, before we crash!" Chaud barked at him.

"This is an old subway model… they used brake rails to slow trains down into the stations… they've been unused for so long they probably don't work anymore!" Everyone stared wide eyed at Famous.

"Why the hell didn't you say something?" Dex frantically berated him.

"I just realized it, don't blame me!"

"Forget about it! Everyone brace for impact! Lan yelled as he reached for one of the poles. Maylu grabbed onto him tightly, Lan holding her tight to his body. Everybody held onto something as the car began to crash through caution barriers and boarded sections of the tunnel. Each impact shook the train furiously until they were in the station. The car collided with the back buffers of the station at full speed. Everyone was tossed to the front of the car, debris and shrapnel flung into the cabin from the surrounding station and the capsizing car itself. When the cacophony subsided and the dust cleared, there was silence.

…

"Oooh man, my head…" Dex groaned as he rolled over and rubbed his forehead. A bunch of dust and pieces of rubble fell off of his body to the ground as he stood up.

"You okay?" Dex turned to see Tory climbing out of some rubble with Mr. Famous behind him, both were slightly bruised up. "That was **not** fun…"

"A little help?" Yai's voice called out. Dex turned around to see Yai and Sean stuck under a stray beam.

"Just a sec here, are you good?" Dex questioned as he hoisted the beam up.

"I'm fine… but Sean's knocked out, I think he cushioned the beam from hitting me…" Yai crawled out and helped Dex pull Sean out. His head was bleeding.

"Oh damn… Sean you with us?" Dex shook him lightly.

"Uhhh…" Sean reached for his head and slowly shook it.

"Anyone see Lan and Maylu?" Chaud climbed over a pile of stones.

"We're all okay Chaud, thanks for asking…" Yai grumbled to herself.

"I haven't found them…" Dex answered.

"Over here!" Lan's voice came from beneath a large pile.

"Shit!" Chaud and Dex got to work clearing away some extremely heavy stones; they both feared what they would see beneath it. After one solid heave at the largest rock on the pile they both stared wide-eyed. Lan had completely shielded Maylu. She was unscathed, but even though Lan had taken the full brunt of the crash for her, he didn't have a scratch or bruise on his entire body.

"Lan?" Dex stumbled over the name. "How the hell did you get out of that without dying?" Lan looked himself up and down as Maylu opened her eyes and released her held breath.

"Wow, guess I got lucky huh?" He responded with a smile then checked on Maylu who seemed to be in a slight shock from the crash. Chaud glared at Lan, but decided not to push it, they had a mission to complete first. "Maylu, you with me?" She glanced up at him between gasps for air.

"I'm not dead?" She stuttered. Lan rolled his eyes and poked her in the forehead.

"No silly, we're all okay come back down to earth."

Maylu shook her head and blinked. She looked at everyone and they were all okay. Although relieving, it was close to traumatizing after how worried she was about anyone, especially Lan getting hurt. Lan stood up and helped her to her feet, allowing the group to continue into Kotobuki city. They emerged from the old subway station and into the desolate city. It was a horrible sight. Abandoned streets, toppled buildings, some with broken beams and scaffolding jutting out everywhere, broken signs, cracked roads, and much more.

"Everyone check your radiation devices…" Mr. Famous suggested before they went any further. Luckily, none of their devices had been damaged by the crash and everyone was fit to continue. They came across an abandoned music store a block away from the station.

"Here…" Lan pointed to the shop. "Let's see if we can find a port in here." They entered the store. It had been picked clean on the inside, nothing but a counter and shelves remained. The only thing signifying it as a music store was the half broken logo outside the shop. After searching around, Tory stumbled upon a net port underneath the front counter.

"Guys here!" He beckoned them all over.

"Good, let me see if I can contact Protoman…" Chaud drew his pet cord and went to plug it in, but he stopped an inch from the port. "Shit…" He mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Maylu asked as she looked at the port.

"This would've worked if I still had my Mark 2 Pet…" Sean bent down to examine the port.

"Ah, just a moment…" He reached into a bag he had attached to his belt and dug out a small apparatus. "Here is an adaptor for this port, just plug your pet in here and plug it in. I had a feeling this might happen." Chaud did as he was told, and he successfully connected his pet to the system. Sean passed out the adaptors to everyone else as Chaud tried to contact Protoman.

"S….ch….si….cha… Sir Chaud?" Protomans voice came through.

"I'm reading you Protoman, we made it to Kotobuki, what next?" Chaud asked as Ballade took a place beside Protoman.

"This portal will take us to an abandoned Pet factory about five blocks from your location; you might be able to see it from where you are."

"Very well…" Chaud acknowledged Ballade. "We're going now."

"Be warned." Ballade cut him off. "I know Enker is in there."

"Loud and clear, we'll meet you there."

Ballade watched as the crackly image of Chaud faded.

"I hope you all realize the danger you're getting into." He commented as he turned to the deactivated portal.

"We know, and they know too." Said Megaman from behind Ballade. Ballade responded with a grunt. "Some people are willing to give up everything to protect what they hold dear… I'm sure you understand Ballade…" Ballade stopped and stood still for a moment, then chuckled.

"I'm glad I met you Megaman…" He knealt down and placed his hand atop the portal pad. "No one has ever understood me like you do." A sharp flow of data shot from his hands into the portal. It began to glow and activated a second later. "Now let's not keep my brother waiting."

They all nodded, ready for anything, and followed Ballade into portal.

"I can see it from here." Mr. Famous called from outside the shop as Chaud replaced his pet on his belt. They all moved outside and looked towards where Mr. Famouse was pointing. There was a fairly large building in the distance with multiple cables and broken wire poles leading towards it. They made their way through the ghost town, Yai huddle against Chaud.

"This place… gives me the creeps…" She commented.

"Have you guys noticed?" They all turned to Lan who was staring at his pet screen. "Why is it so dark and murky out here? It's only two in the afternoon…"

"I would assume that's the radiation." Sean reluctantly explained. "There's so much of it that even light has a hard time passing through it."

"If that's the case then let's make one thing clear right now." Chaud stepped in. "If anybody at any point has a problem with their radiation inhibitor… back out and get away from the city as quickly as possible."

"Easier said than done Chaud, we totaled the rail car remember?" Maylu brought up. The rest looked around in realization that their exit would be difficult. Mr. Famous solved that.

"No worries, I sent an e-mail to Dr. Hikari as soon as we got out of that mess, they're putting together a new railcar **with its own brakes** to send to us as soon as we need it."

"Problem solved then," Chaud turned back and continued walking. They reached the front gate of the factory, which was so rusty that a simple push from Dex forced it off the hinges. With nothing else in their way, they entered the factory through a large shutter that was stuck open.

The interior of the factory was dark, dreary, and filled with dust. Even with flashlights it was hard to see with how much gunk was floating in the air. They all had to wave their hands in front of their faces constantly as they walked to avoid getting a mouthful of dust. Old, broken machinery was everywhere, multiple broken beams hung dangerously from the ceiling and half-finished pets were scattered about.

"Okay, scratch that… **this** place gives me the creeps." Yai reiterated.

"Look for ports, there should be plenty around here for all of us to use." Said Famous as he began wiping layers of dust off machinery. It took a long time, and a lot of dusting, but eventually each one of them found a port. Lan drew his pet cord and plugged into a pet casing assembly line with Maylu right beside him.

"Let's save the world again." She smiled at Lan as she plugged her pet in beside his.

"All in a day's work." He returned.

The navis all touched down in the bleak cyberspace of the factory. There was little to no lighting at all, forcing the navis to summon little bits of data that emitted light.

"You sure he's in here?" Iceman asked, but was immediately shushed by Ballade.

"Enker, I know you're here. Stop being dramatic and come out." The navis all stood stiffly. They were all aware of the terror they would soon face, but for some of them it was only hitting them now the kind of danger they were in.

"You know Ballade that's one thing I've always hated about you." A voice came from all around them. "You never want to have any fun… it's always straight to the point." A few lights flickered on, giving the cyberspace a faint source of light. The navi's let go of their data lights and looked towards the middle of the area. Enker was standing right there, his spear at his side. "But what is this? You brought along help? My how the great and honorable Ballade has succumbed to his own weakness."

"Don't take me for a fool you coward! I'm merely honoring their wishes to come along after they rescued me. I have no intention of letting a single one of them interfere with our fight!"

"Still just the big asshole huh…" Punk stepped up beside Ballade.

"Oh my, this **is **a treat." Enker chuckled. "Our weakling misshaped brother showed up as well."

"Your taunts are nothing but immature squaking to me Enker, Ballade may have his reasons to fight you, but we do as well. He may want to do this alone, but we are here to assist him in any way possible." Ballade let out a huff of disapproval, but didn't protest.

"Well then, what are you all waiting for? I'm here, so attack me, or are you too busy trembling in your own data?" He laughed. Megaman turned back to see Glide, Iceman, and Guile quivering. After all they were they only one who didn't have full synchro on their side.

"He's as bad as they come." Protoman pointed his sword at him. "If you're so great, then prove it."

"Protoman, I wouldn't provoke him…" Roll whispered to him.

"I'm following Chaud's orders, you will receive yours form your oporator shortly." Roll blinked in surprise, but then Maylu chimed in.

"Listen up Roll, I'm sending you a boosted aqua tower chip. Don't use it until Chaud gives the command okay?" Roll nodded and felt the data stream into her arms. A blue aura emanated from them. She glanced at the rest of the navis. Megaman's arm had formed into an omega spread cannon, Protoman was holding a lifesword, Gutsman's fist had turned gold, Glide had a herosword on his arm, Punk had a blackbomb, Iceman a dynawave pickaxe, and Guile a supervulcan.

"To hell with it! I'm taking him down!" Ballade rocketed towards Enker, fists reared back. Enker sidestepped gracefully as Ballade's powerful punches sent shockwaves that collided with the opposite wall. Enker dropped his staff and grabbed both of Ballade's fists.

"How many times is it going to take you fool? You will never match me, not in a million years!" Enker head-butted Ballade, and without letting go of his arms, leaned back, and threw Ballade over his head. Ballade formed two sphere bombs and launched them at Enker as he tumbled through the air.

"Brace yourselves!" Megaman yelled as the bombs detonated, shaking the cyberspace with their gigantic explosions. Enker had ridden the explosion into the air, and was surprised when Ballade appeared beside him.

"What?"

"You're getting soft brother! Never underestimate me!" Ballade landed a punch right in Enker's face. The navis all watched in awe as they witnessed Enker receive a blow for the first time. Enker tumbled to the ground, but righted himself before crashing. He glared at Ballade.

"Unbelievable… you actually managed to hit me…" He reached out a hand and his spear flew into it. "How disgraceful, for me to be so careless." He twirled the staff in his hands and readied it behind his back. "I'll make you pay for that." Enker zipped towards Ballade so fast that the navis barely saw the movement. He rammed Ballade with his staff and pushed him into the floor, dragging him a few extra yards before jumping up and stabbing him through the stomach. Ballade cried out in pain, but Enker wasn't done. He hoisted Ballade into the air with his staff and smashed him into the ground, twice, before removing the spear and swinging it around to punt him across the cyberspace. With Enker's back turned to them, Chaud issued the order.

"NOW!" Protoman yelled as he swung the lifesword, creating a wide sword beam that careened towards Enker. Glide did the same with his hero sword. Roll slammed her hands the ground, sending a large pillar of water towards Enker, Iceman likewise slamming the pickaxe to the ground to create a massive shockwave. Gutsman punched forward, launching the goldfist, with punk beside him flinging the massive bomb. Guile and Megaman stood side by side, the omega spread and the supervulcan firing rapidly on target.

Enker turned around just in time to see all the attacks upon him. He was engulfed in a massive explosion by Punk's bomb. The rest of the projectiles hit home causing the explosion to expand and morph. The supervulcan and omega spread from Guile and Megaman continued to unload into the dust cloud left behind, ensuring that Enker would have no room to fight back.

When the attack finally subsided, the navis all stared at the aftermath. They were all sure they had scored multiple hits. But the smoke cleared and Enker stood firm, with his spear crossed in front of him, glowing bright orange. He didn't have a single scratch on his body.

"No way." Punk sputtered.

"Heh, trying to catch me off-guard? Pathetic. I'd gladly kill you all slowly and painfully, but I'll let the mirror buster do the talking with all the energy you so kindly gave to it!" In one sweep there was a bright flash of orange. Lan, Chaud, Maylu, Dex, and Mr. Famous all went full synchro and their navis leapt into the air to dodge the wave of energy. It had become visible for a moment once they were fully synched. However Iceman, Glide, and Guile were not blessed with that ability. They were thrown from their spot, Glide's body cleaved from his waist, Iceman fell missing and arm, Guile was lucky he had tilted his head, because the left side of his body broke off and de-rezzed.

"GLIDE!" Yai cried out.

"No! Iceman!" Tory shook his pet as every warning light began blinking.

"Damn! Pull them out now, they'll be deleted if they stay in there any longer!" Sean ordered as the three called back their navis and immediately began tending to them with multiple subchips.

"Unbelievable. The three of us knocked out in an instant," Yai said in disbelief as she pulled another handful of subchips out of her pet case to stabilize Glide.

"We did what we could," said Sean reluctantly, "I just hope they can do something." He turned to the others who were all encased in white swirling auras.

"You dodged it? I have to admit I underestimated you," Enker expressed his surprise to the remaining five navis as they touched to the ground. Roll stood ready, but glanced over at Megaman, who had an extreme look of rage on his face.

"Mega?"

"How dare you," he growled, "HOW DARE YOU HURT MY FRIENDS!" Megaman leapt at Enker.

"Lan!" Chaud yelled from Protoman.

"RAAAAH!" Gutsman charged as well.

"Dammit!" Chaud cursed and followed behind them.

Megaman's hands turned into goldfists, protoman drew his sword, and gutsman reared back his arms. The three met Enker and all began throwing blows. Enker effortlessly dodged each one. From further back Rolls arm became a trident cannon. She aimed it at Enker, but held it steady. She tried to get a clear shot, but she was too worried about hitting the others.

"Maylu…"

"I know Roll, I'm trying too… we have to wait for an opening." The two looked down the sights of their bow, small windows of opportunity kept opening, but never long enough to take a shot.

Enker suddenly spun in a circle with his spear, knocking all three back.

"NOW!" Roll and Maylu both yelled, firing the three tridents. In three swipes of the arm, Enker caught all three between the fingers in his free hand. "What?" Roll's jaw dropped.

"Outta the way!" Punk had leapt high into the air and launched his wiry arms at Enker, the weights on the ends of them crashing into the ground. Megaman saw a brief flash of colors heading upward.

"Up there!" He yelled pointing. Protoman's arm became an M-cannon, Gutsman's arm formed into his seldom used guts buster, and megaman readied an omega spread. They all fired simultaneously, the multiple volleys of plasma fire careened towards Enker. He suddenly disappeared, the beams crossing and exploding at the limits of the cyberspace.

"Where?" Chaud looked around through Protoman's eyes.

"Behind you!" They all heard Ballade yell as he struggled to his feet. He was directing his warning towards Roll. She glanced behind her and saw Enker with the three tridents she fired at him.

"Would you like these back?"

Gutsman was the first to see him, and was already rushing towards her before Megaman and Protoman turned.

"ROLL!"

"MAYLU!" Lan and Megaman watched as Enker brought the tridents down on Roll, but at the last instant, Gutsman dove in front with his arms crossed over his face. The tridents smashed into his arms, digging deep into them.

"AAAAAAUGH!" Dex yelled as his Pet dropped from his hands and blood spurted from his forearms.

"Oh no!" Yai dropped her pet and sprinted to Dex as he fell to his knees, clutching his arms. His synch with Gutsman faded. Tory quickly ran to the radiation protected bag of extra supplies beside Mr. Famous to grab bandages.

"Gutsman!" Roll yelled as Enker pulled back for another strike. He was disrupted as Megaman and Protoman both swiped at him with swords. Enker blocked them both as Roll grabbed hold of Gutsman and leapt to a safe distance.

"Dex, here," Tory began wrapping the bandages around his arms.

"Yai," He managed to say in pain.

"Yes?"

"Get… Gutsman… out of there."

"Gutsman! Are you alright?" Roll frantically questioned as the large navi heaved heavy breaths. His arms were fizzling and data streams were popping out from the trident holes.

"I'm always alright… guts," He wobbled and began to fall as Yai logged him out.

"He's too damn fast! I can barely follow his movements, even in full synchro," Chaud cursed.

"He's toying with us. Heh, he isn't even trying," Mr. Famous chuckled, "I heard stories from Punk, but I never expected this much."

"Any ideas Lan?" Megaman asked as Lan pondered a strategy.

"Don't bother," Ballade stepped up beside them, standing strong despite the painful wound from Enker's spear, "You should all just leave. I made it clear you were all in danger, but you risked it anyway."

"Ballade, we're here and nothing can change that. We're bringing him down," an image of Lan split off from Megaman, "I don't care if he's a million times stronger than all of us, I'm not backing down."

"What if I told you that was like jogging speed to him?" Ballade's words made them all freeze in place, "Determination can't beat Enker. Mr. Famous is right, he is toying with you. Now stay back and leave this to me!" Ballade fired towards Enker, his fists reared back.

"Not using your bombs? You're overconfident." Ballade reached hi and threw a punch, but Enker disappeared. All the navis lost track of him, but Ballade's eyes darted left and he kicked off the ground.

"As if I'd let you use the mirror buster again!" Enker came into view in front of Ballade, but again he disappeared before Ballade could hit him. "You can't elude me!" He rocketed upward and swung his leg around to strike, Enker appeared for an instant and Ballade's leg passed right through him as if hitting air. "What?"

"Jogging? No, I think a better word to describe that last scuffle would be crawling," Enker gripped the end of his spear with two hands and struck Ballade to the ground. Ballade crashed to the cyber surface painfully and Enker followed with his spear ready to pierce through Ballade's head.

"Punk!" Ballade heard Megaman yell as he opened his eyes.

"Brother?" Ballade stared wide eyed as Punk stood over him, facing down at him, with Enker's spear jutting through his shoulder socket.

"Augh, dammit." Punk fell on top of Ballade as Enker removed the spear.

"Feh, you are a lucky one." Enker scoffed. "Once again you are spared at the expense of someone else."

"Brother!" Ballade yelled as he rolled over and examined Punk.

"Argh!" Mr. Famous cringed as hi synch aura disappeared and his pet clattered to the floor. Yai and Tory quickly ran to him as he fell, blood flowed from his shoulder.

"Why did you defend me?" Ballade questioned Punk as his shoulder fizzed and popped. Punk winced and chuckled.

"You're family. True brothers protect each other." The words struck Ballade as Punk logged out.

"Sir Chaud, I have just received word that our railcar has arrived, and a supply team was sent with it," Protoman relayed to his operator as Megaman and Roll focused on Ballade.

"Yai! Get Dex and Famous to the railcar." Chaud quickly ordered.

"And just leave you guys here? What if you get hurt?" She protested, but was swiftly turned about.

"No time to argue, they need medical attention stat, and with your help, Sean and Tory can get them there faster!" Yai wished to argue her reasons more, but Chaud was right. Her personal feelings had to be set aside. Together, Yai, Sean, and Tory carefully moved Dex and Mr. Famous out of the factory, leaving Lan, Maylu, and Chaud. Megaman, Roll, and Protoman stood ready for Enker's next move, with Ballade still on his knees where Punk had fallen. Enker sneered at them.

"Looks like our little party is nearing its end. I give you two options. Die quickly or slowly? Either way is fine by…" He stopped and glanced away from them. The three flinched and made quick glances towards where Enker was looking, but could see nothing. Enker sighed.

"My, if only I weren't so busy… I could have you thorns out of my side for good." He turned away.

"What?" Megaman watched Enker as he began to walk towards a broken portal. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?" He yelled. Roll squeaked slightly, she had to admit she was relieved when Enker turned away, but Megaman's steadfast spirit caused her to reset her battle stance. Enker halted and sighed.

"I suppose I can spare a minute or two to explain something to you," he turned and stared heavily at the three, "I'm sure you've heard their side of the story, so why don't I tell you mine," the three glanced at each other, "You really can't blame me for seeking revenge on my creators. Tell me, do you know what it's like to be created and given a conscious, only to be thrown into a bin and never be considered again?" he hung his head, "I'm a prototype, and imperfect experiment, an idea," he flashed bright blue and reappeared looking identical to Megaman, "I have no identity," he flashed pink, appearing as Roll, "I have no purpose," he flashed Red, returning as Protoman, "I have no function," he flashed yellow and reappeared as himself, "I can take on anyone's identity but I don't have one to call my own. I'm a test, a test of an ability that wasn't even fully incorporated into the final product. The insignificance of my life is appalling."

"But why?" Roll cut him off, "That doesn't give you any reason to do all these awful things! Pain of the heart should not be repaid through death and destruction!" she stepped forward, "Just because you disagree with your creator, doesn't mean you have the right to cause harm to everyone else!"

"SHUT UP!" Enker's voice surged towards them. "You're ignorant! You've had a purpose your whole miserable existence! I'd invite you to feel my pain and not strike back!" Roll shrunk away.

"She's right you know," Megaman stepped in front of her, "Your actions are as cold blooded as your words. I may not have lived your life, but I've lived one that tells me you have it completely backwards," He pointed, "All you're doing is using your past as a reason to cause problems. You're nothing more than a bully," Enker smirked.

"If that is how you wish to put it, then this bully is about to destroy everything that mistreated him," the words cut through Protoman's head.

"What do you mean?" he quickly pressed. Enker swept his cloak out to the side.

"You all live in a world that you believe is safe. You all think you have a perfect system that cannot be broken. You rely on that which you have created to the point where without it, the world would crumble," he waved his hand and the portal began to crackle, "Your precious internet, your cyber devices, everything you use today is a product of these systems. You look to them for guidance and curl up beside them when problems arise. I started the war as a twofold plan: first to prove how easily your world can break, and second, to run an uninterrupted examination of the Scilab network," Lan and Chaud's eyes went wide. "I'm fairly certain your operators understand the possibilities here."

"What do you intend?" an image of Chaud split from Protoman. "Scilab security is impenetrable. Even if you made it past the initial firewalls the rest of the system would delete you in and instant."

"Does believing that make you feel better?" Enker sneered. Chaud hesitated and held his tongue. "Ah there it is, that wonderful expression I always see when people realize their lives can be compromised. Your safe haven has already been chipped at by the war, you really don't realize how easily I'm going to do something much worse." Lan's image split from Megaman and he glared at Enker.

"I've had enough experiences in my life to realize when someone is trying to scare me. Always excessive buildup and never enough to follow through. Honestly it's a dick move and I'm not buying it. Just tell us what you plan so we can stop it." As Lan finished, Enker burst into laughter.

"REALLY? TRULY? SUCH WORDS FROM A HUMAN!" he immediately seized laughing and glared. "You have no idea where you stand you pathetic bag of flesh. I have discovered a daily reset interval in scilab's security mainframe to prevent the system from degrading over time. It may seem like a small window to you, but it's a mile wide for me, and I can easily slip in."

"What!" Chaud's image split from Protoman again. "That's impossible!"

"Is that a challenge?" Enker shook his head. "You doubt my abilities. I thought by now you would know what I'm capable of." He balled his hand into a fist and held it in front of him. "And trust me, I plan to use my power. I will destroy Scilab's core server processor, effectively deleting Electopia's entire network!" All of them stood wide-eyed.

"No! We won't let you destroy the Electopian net!" Megaman yelled as the three operators merged back into their navis. Megaman and Roll stood ready, but Protoman didn't budge.

"You… you're crazy, that will destroy the world as we know it!" He proclaimed. Megaman and Roll turned to him, confused.

"I see you understand my full intention. Yes, Scilab's network runs all of Electopia's net, but it is also linked in multiple places to other networks around the world. If a network as big as Electopia's is destroyed, the data released will have nowhere to go. It will flow into the other networks around the globe and cause a worldwide data overload, forcing a complete and total shut down of the internet!"

"NOO!" Megaman launched himself at Enker. With one swift movement, Enker reached out, grabbed him by the arm and threw him into both Roll and Protoman who had followed suit. He stepped towards the crackling portal.

"Are you sure you want to come after me?" He chuckled. "You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to your operators would you?" He knelt down and touched the floor of the broken cyberspace. A data stream flowed from his hand into the floor and the whole area lit up bright red. "Have fun kids; try not to bring the house down!" He laughed sinisterly and disappeared into the portal. As soon as he was gone, the portal faded back to its worn state. The navis quickly rolled off each other and looked around at the cyberspace coming to life. Alarm claxons started blaring all around and the light turned harsh. The cyberspace itself began to shake.

"Lan! Maylu! Quick, call back your navis!" Chaud yelled as he released full synchro.

"Wait! Ballade!" Megaman yelled reaching back towards Ballade before his vision was blurred by the pet call. The aura faded from both Lan and Maylu and they unplugged their pets. The alarm was going off in the factory as well. Multiple pieces of machinery were blinking with red lights, sparks flying from everywhere. Then there was an explosion. They all shielded themselves as small bits and pieces fell around them.

"He's bringing the factory down on us!" Maylu yelled as more shrapnel clanged to the floor.

"Move!" Lan yelled as the three made a break for the exit. They got four steps into a sprint before a conveyer belt machine's control panel exploded, they were thrown off balance by the shock, but the belt itself snapped and whipped out, knocking down Lan. Chaud didn't notice him fall, but Maylu turned to help him immediately. Chaud made it to the entrance and turned to see them far behind, debris and scraps falling all around.

"Come on! Hurry!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. As soon as Lan got to his feet the Pet assembler right beside them exploded, Maylu took the brunt of the explosion, knocking her into Lan. She groaned and struggled to get back up. An inch-thick metal cylinder up in the rafters of the ceiling split by the pressure broke loose and fell towards her, the sharp end of it tipped downward as it fell. She glanced up and saw it mere feet from her.

At the last second Lan stepped in front.

The cylinder hit him.

It drove through the center of his chest and stuck out his back.

Maylu's eyes shot open.

"LAAAAN!"

-To be continued-

* * *

Well aint i evil. And unfortunately i hate to say it, but it will be a while before another update. I have until may to finish my senior writing project and i really need to buckle down on it. Any and all writing time i have will be directed at my project. I know its a horrible spot in both stories to do this, but this is how it must go for now.

But as always, even though i know i dont deserve it for how long i make you all wait, i appreciate how much support i get from everyone and all those who read and review my work, you are all amazing.

Please read and review!

Flashgunner over and out!


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